New Warriors of Dawn
by lunariaans
Summary: An FFV novelization. Lenna-centric. Slight Lenna/Bartz
1. Chapter 1

The day King Tycoon left the castle was just like any other day.

The sun had just started to rise over the mountains surrounding the quiet kingdom of Tycoon, an alarm clock of sorts for those working under the name of the royal family. Kitchen servants began preparations for breakfast, ducking and dodging pots and plates. Flames hissed as the stoves were set alight and water and pans were placed above them. The men in the barracks rose from their bunks, shoving on shoes and tugging shirts over heads. Armor needed to be shined and posts needed to be relieved. The handmaidens went about their chores, some filling washbasins for the regal clothing, others filling buckets with soaps to start the cleaning of the castle. The busy bustling of the worker bees created a sweet song, its harmony a comforting sound to the princess of the castle.

Lenna laid in her bed, staring out the window, the curtains already opened from the night before. Dawn had always been a comforting time for her for she thought of it as yesterday being erased and rewritten. A new day, a new start. She could see the mountains from her bed, the large window reaching from the floor to the ceiling. She would like to someday see past the mountains, for she had never been that far away from home, but she knew there was a whole world out there, waiting just for her.

She sprawled her limbs across the bed as far as they could reach, not even close to reaching the edges, in an attempt to stretch. She arose from her bed, gently touching her toes to the stone cold floor, and got up before her lady-in-waiting could arrive. Lenna was always up before the Lady's maid came, but nonetheless she came by every morning, thirty minutes past dawn.

Lenna quietly walked over to the armoire to get dressed, rummaging through her clothing. She pulled on her morning dress and boots, and tied up her hair but stopped to frown at the empty wash cup on her dresser. She'd have to ask to get that filled. She walked to the large piece of glass, a mirror they had called it, to inspect herself. She was short and thin, her curly hair wanting to be released from the bun she had put it in. She had dainty, elfish features. A small upturned nose, brilliant blue eyes. Lenna wasn't really one for vanity, but when she looked at herself, in this mirror, she could only ever think of how she would look as a queen.

One day, when her father passed or she got married, she would become the Queen of Tycoon. The thought was thrilling, but also frightening. She would be in charge of so many people's lives, and they would all look to her when they were in trouble. Her father had told her to have faith in herself, that she would be an excellent queen if she listened to the good people of Tycoon and their concerns. He had also warned her about the men who would seek her hand in marriage. Some would of course just be smitten by her, but others would only want the throne. They would lie and manipulate her heart to get what they desired, and that wasn't what the citizens of Tycoon deserved. She had made a silent promise to herself to guard her heart, and then maybe by doing that, it would also guard the safety of the kingdom.

Her thought was interrupted by a roar of sorts. It was low and she was barely able to make it out, but she knew the sound well; the sound of a wind drake. She quickly crossed her room and reached for her door, nearly running over her handmaiden who was ready to knock on the other side.

"My Lady?" she had asked, but the princess was already halfway down the hall. The clacking of her boots on the stone floors sounded angry and fast; she had to get to the top of the castle. She _had_ to before he left.

 _How dare he think he can leave before at least saying good bye?_

She knew that he was afraid that she would be able to talk him out of leaving, or at least without her. But she briskly climbed the steps of the tower, taking two at a time. She reached the top of the tower and walked out into the early morning sunlight, the sun had just barely peaked over their summits, and there she saw the source of the noise. She saw him there too, her father and king, gently climbing onto the back of the beautiful wind drake. He failed to notice her approach closer, but she continued forward.

"Father!" she shouted. He turned at her voice, pulling on a gentle smile as he climbed off the drake and took a step towards her. "Do you really have to go?" she asked a bit quieter.

He placed a hand on her shoulder but his smile faltered. "You know I do, dear. I need you to protect the castle." He then put on a stern face, as if suddenly remembering an important piece of advice. "Under no circumstances are you to follow me, do you understand?"

Lenna looked down at her feet, her voice threatened to fail her but she kept it steady.

"But, Father…"

The king lifted her chin. "Something is wrong with the wind…" was what came out of his mouth. He looked her in the eyes and continued. "I must go to the Wind Shrine to make certain nothing's happened to the crystal." He dropped his hand from her face at his final word.

Lenna turned her back at his words, looking to those beautiful mountains. Soon her father would be crossing them, and she would be left behind to sit and stay like the good girl she was. Was this really all her life would be, sitting in an old castle? She took a few steps and stopped short of the edge of the tower. There had been some changes in the wind, seasonal gusts hadn't been as strong and the occasional breeze now stopped and started in short shallow gasps. "Yes … I've noticed it as well. But to go alone is-"

"Lenna. Don't worry," he walked to stand next to her, also taking in the beauty of his kingdom and the surrounding land. "I'll be fine. Have faith." His voice was full of determination, but there was something about it that made it sound like he was trying to convince himself more than his daughter. Was he afraid? If he was afraid then that meant…

The king left her side as Lenna looked over her shoulder as she watched her father climb back onto his companion. He shifted his weight then gave it a pat on the neck, readjusting the bag at his side before it gave a loud roar as it slowly ascended into the air. She waved to him as it lifted off, watching as he grew smaller, disappearing into the distance. Her eyes pricked with tears as she turned back towards the castle. She couldn't just sit here and wait for his return. No! She had to do something, didn't she?

But the cool breeze that had been tickling her skin suddenly disappeared. "The wind's stopped…" she noted. The wind wasn't always that prominent, but it was always there. Oh, how quickly had the wind died so shortly after the king's departure. "Father!" she realized with a gasp.

She quickly ran back inside the tower, skipping steps on the stairs, practically flying down countless halls until she reached her room. She threw her chamber door open, startling her lady-in-waiting, who was refilling the wash cup.

"My Lady?" she asked worriedly.

Lenna ignored her as she pulled clothes out of her dresser drawers. She threw the frivolous things aside and tossed appropriate travel clothing onto her freshly made bed.

"My Lady," the handmaiden tried again. She stood to the side, too afraid to intercept the princess.

"Will you get me a suitable bag for traveling?" Lenna asked in a huff, annoyed that the maid had not left her yet. She walked over to her bed and sat among the clothes. "Please?"

The servant nodded and left her to her thoughts. Lenna's heart had started to grow heavy and her stomach twisted into knots. She gripped the wooden column of her bed that held the silken canopy above, desperate for support. What did this mean? Was her father okay? Had he known what he was getting himself into?

A few moments later, her servant came back in the room with a light brown bag that could be placed across the back. Lenna immediately started to place the few clothes she had picked into the bag, not caring to fold them. She figured the boots she had on now would suffice. After all, this would be a short trip, she would return with her father soon.

"My Lady," the handmaiden started cautiously, "where do you plan on going?"

Lenna didn't look up from her packing. "I'm going to retrieve my father."

The handmaiden looked nervous. "But my Lady, His Majesty told the Royal Guard to not let you go after him." She wrung her hands nervously, "you're to stay put, here."

"Yes, but that was before something happened to the wind crystal," She shoved the last of her clothing into her pack and stood up to shoulder it. "Something has happened to my father and I'm going to find out what. I'm leaving and no one's going to stop me." She crossed the room and reached for the door to open it.

"My Lady," the maid inquired, "You won't at least tell the Chancellor that you are leaving?"

 _He would never let me go_ , she thought bitterly. "I'll be back before he notices," she lied. She wouldn't but the Chancellor could easily take care of the castle in her absence. He would be extremely upset and stressed, but he would make it work. She wasn't in any real position of power anyway, what could she do for the kingdom in her father's absence other than just sit on her throne besides his and smile?

She proceeded out the door and down the castle hallways, sneaking past members of her royal guard, finally slipping out the front gates. She would get to journey past the mountains earlier than she had expected.

0-0-0-0-0

Lenna felt heavy and drowsy. Her head hurt and she couldn't open her eyes, but there was the uneasy feeling of cracked skin, hands possibly, gripping her wrists and ankles. The sound of footsteps on loose dirt and gravel hit her ears, and it seemed like whoever was carrying her was struggling. Her midsection felt as if it was stooping dangerously low and her head bobbed back and forth. She couldn't tell which way was up and which was down, a very unsettling sensation. Was she being…carried? She couldn't remember where she was and her mind felt fuzzy. Finally, most likely from the fear of her realization, her eyes widened as she stared at the bright blue sky above her. With a shout, she tried shaking out of the grasp of her captors, but it was to no avail.

She then heard the sound of a heavier pair of footsteps pounding against the hardened soil. She was dropped onto the ground with a thud, a groan escaping her lips. She tried to sit up but she still felt so heavy. From her side she could now see two goblins, her captors, and a young man in a blue tunic. The goblins were short and ugly, and although they were weak, barely a challenge, their cracked skin and lanky limbs made them fearsome.

The young man unsheathed a broadsword and swiftly cut into the goblin to his left. It fell with a scream, making the other goblin try to run in fear, but the man got it through the back before it could escape. Lenna stared with wonder, still on her side, at the raw and untamed skill he had used. It certainly wasn't controlled and disciplined like those of Tycoon's royal guard, and something about that intrigued her. She soon noticed him approaching her, perhaps to finish her off as he had done with the goblins just a few short moments before. Maybe her father was right in warning her not to follow.

Instead, he knelt down next to her, gently placing one hand behind her head and the other on her shoulder, lifting her to a sitting position. She slowly started to clear her head as she was able to hold herself up. She tried to make herself look at him, but his eyes were so intense she had to turn her look down.

He had tried to catch her gaze but she had dropped it so quickly. He cleared his throat.

"Hey, are you alright?" his voice was rich and sweet, and he had a slight accent that sounded from the northern region of the continent, though it was such a delightful sound to hear after the ordeal.

Lenna swallowed. "Y-yes…I believe so…" she rubbed her wrist carefully from where the goblins had tightly gripped her. She gave him a nod, to give him reassurance. "I give you my thanks. My name is Lenna. And you are…?" she finally looked up, taken aback by his shining, grey eyes. She had never seen grey eyes before.

"Me?" he asked with a raised brow. "Call me Bartz," he supplied as he jabbed a thumb into his chest. "Me and my chocobo just go wherever the trail leads us…" He gestured to the area behind him with the sweep of his hand, then looking disappointed at the absence of said chocobo.

"Bartz…" she repeatedly thoughtfully. Such a unique name. She liked the way it rolled off her tongue. He nodded with a smile.

She stood with his help and stepped away from him, brushing herself off as she walked towards the big object she had now just noticed. "This rock suddenly fell from the sky…the impact must of knocked me out."

He let out a sigh looking up at it. "Guess it's a meteorite," He stated flatly.

She brought her hand up to her face, cupping her chin with her index and thumb. It was a nervous habit formed by her pensive character. "A meteorite…" she wondered aloud, "I wonder if it has a connection to the wind stopping?"

She walked back to stop in front of him. She studied him for a moment, taking in his wild brown hair and his long lashes. He was quite a bit taller than her, so he was looking down with a grin. She returned the smile. "Again, I give you my thanks. I wish I could do something more to show my appreciation, but I really must go..." she walked a short distance to where her pack laid and picked it up. The goblins must have taken it off her when they tried to take off with her.

"Whoa-" Bartz said as he took a step towards her. "Hey, hold up a sec." he moved to close the distance between them stopping only a foot from her. She thought she had heard a small gasp come from him.

Lenna felt her breath hitch as she turned to face him. She had heard the gasp again. "Bartz," she started, "did you hear something?"

Bartz looked confused. "Huh?"

"Oooh…"

Bartz and Lenna looked to each other. _What the-_

"Uugh… Help... me…"

They both looked around, turning in the opposite direction. Had the voice come from the east? Or perhaps the west?

Bartz suddenly pointed to the meteorite. "Over there." He motioned for Lenna to follow him.

As they rounded the meteorite, they found an older gentleman face down in the dirt. Lenna rushed forward dropping to his side.

"Are you alright?" she questioned, placing a hand on his back.

The man rolled over onto his back and groaned. Bruises and dirt covered his face.

"Where am I?" he moaned as he quickly placed a hand to his forehead, "Oh…my aching head!"

Lenna gave a confused glance to Bartz but he was busy inspecting the man. _Those are quite the theatrics he's putting up_ , she thought, _what a strange old man_.

The old man sat up and placed his other hand to his head, now cradling it, and then shaking it vigorously. He looked at Lenna, then Bartz, and then gingerly stood.

"Sakes alive," he said, "What's happened? I don't remember…" he turned to the meteorite, inspecting it himself. "Ehh?" He just as quickly turned around, "I can't remember anything!" The man's sudden exclamation made both Lenna and Bartz jump to their feet.

Bartz folded his arms across his chest, looking the old man up and down. "Looks like you hit your head pretty bad," he said as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, "Maybe you got amnesia."

The man gave him an incredulous look but it was soon replaced by one of triumph.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, "Something came back to me!"

Bartz exchanged a look with Lenna.

"My name is Galuf," It sounded more like he was telling himself rather than the two kids who stood before him.

"That's a start," Lenna clasped her hands together, "Anything else?"

Galuf stared blankly at the young princess before answering. "Nope, just the name!" he tapped his temple with two fingers, "Other than that, my memory's a blank slate."

Lenna turned away from the two men, remembering her mission.

"I'm very sorry," she began, rummaging through her pack, "but you must excuse me, I have no time to waste." She walked away from the meteorite.

"Where're you going?" she heard Bartz ask. Should she tell him?

She took a breath and looked over her shoulder to him. "I must go to the Wind Shrine."

A loud gasp escaped Galuf's mouth as both Bartz and Lenna turned to fully face him.

"The Wind Shrine!" he practically shouted, "Now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure that's where I was headed."

He made his way over to where Lenna was standing. "It's decided, I'm going with you," he said with a grin.

Lenna looked at him with disbelief, "But-"

He gave her a bigger smile. "I could never let such a sweet girl go all by her lonesome."

Lenna looked to Bartz. Perhaps Galuf was right; maybe she did need a guardian. If she could not even defend herself from goblins, how would she ever get to the Wind Shrine?

"Plus," he started again, "I know I've gotta get to that shrine…I feel it in my bones." He poked his chest with his thumb, "You've gotta take me with!"

Lenna thought for a moment before finally nodding her head. She turned back to Bartz. Perhaps she could get him to come along too. He obviously knew how to defend himself, he could be a big help.

"Bartz," she asked, "What about you?"

Bartz gave her a sad smile. "Sorry, I'm gonna bow out on this one," he said. Lenna felt her heart drop a little lower. "Good luck, though."

Galuf put his hand on her shoulder to pull away. She nodded and they walked away from Bartz, looking for another way to the Wind Shrine. Lenna stopped and turned back towards Bartz.

"Bartz, thank you again," she said softly. How could she ever repay him for saving her, if they were now parting ways. "Farewell…" she trailed off.

Galuf impatiently stood behind her. "Godspeed and all that whatnot." He turned back around now, walking towards the edge of the now cleared land.

Lenna gave him once last look and they shared a smile. Finally, she turned to Galuf and proceeded on with her journey.

As they left the clearing, Lenna's thoughts were racing. She prayed to whatever deity there was to keep her father safe until she got there. Her journey had now become at least a few days longer, as the meteorite had blocked the quickest route to the shrine. And her new traveling companion… He was very strange to say the least. His hair went in every direction and, of course, his face was still covered in dirt. He wore clothing that was foreign to her, a style she had never seen. She hoped that he would be able to defend both her and himself, for she only carried a knife and had no idea how to use it. She had finally gotten to leave the castle but under different circumstances than she would've liked.

Her mind then went to the lone wanderer, Bartz. Although their altercation had been brief she had never met anyone like him. He was very normal looking and she got a salt of the earth type vibe from him, like he would help a friend no matter the cost. She seeked that sort of companionship that no one in the castle could give her. She secretly hoped to see him again.

"So," the fragment startled her from her thoughts as she turned her head towards the old man. "What's your name, miss?"

Her name? Had he not already known? Perhaps she hadn't told him when they had first met; but even so, it was such a peculiar question for someone that was known by everyone around her.

"Lenna," she said. She decided to keep the rest of her name secret to avoid any trouble it might cause the kingdom.

"Well, Lenna," he scratched his head, as if trying to etch the name into his brain so he wouldn't soon forget, "You seem awfully young to be traveling by yourself. What business do you have at the Wind Shrine?"

Maybe it was the fact that he was a stranger, or the fact that he was strange, but she had made it clear in her mind that she would keep things as vague and simple as possible.

"I'm going to see my father," She said curtly. Galuf let out a laugh through his nose, obviously not getting anywhere with the young girl.

"And what's your father's business at the Wind Shrine?"

"Absolutely none of yours," She replied haughtily, "Perhaps you should tell me what yours is."

He gave her a sour look. "I can't remember."

"Sorry," she supplied. It was not in her nature to be rude, she was raised to have the finest etiquette and manners, but it seemed to have all just left her the moment someone had challenged her.

 _Was it really a challenge though_ , she thought. _It must be the anxiety._

Galuf stopped and raised his hand. He turned his head towards where they were headed and stood completely still. It looked like he was listening to something, much like a hunter would listen for his prey.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and rocks from the neighboring cliff fell to the ground. Lenna fell to her knees, praying that it would stop soon. Then there was a sickening, loud noise of something that sounded like a thousand brick stones falling down. Lenna tried standing, but the rumbling of the Earth pushed her back down.

She looked to where Galuf was standing and noticed something quite peculiar and quite alarming. At first it was just the grass splitting but it soon became dirt falling into the ground. Lenna let out a scream as the dirt had started to swallow up the old man. She crawled as fast as she could on her hands and knees towards him, her left arm out as she grabbed his hand and desperately tried to pull him back out.

He was hanging now, Lenna the only thing keeping him from being swallowed into the depths of hell. He hopelessly tried pulling himself up with his other hand on the ground, kicking his legs wildly, looking for a foothold in the now broken earth. He had a look of grave proportions as he tightly gripped her arm. He was much bigger than the petite princess and her grip was starting to slip from his. The terrain had also started to crumble where Lenna was kneeling, causing even more alarm.

She groaned as she pulled with all her might, vainly trying to keep this man alive. Oh, how she wished she was stronger! Maybe then-

But her wish was cut short by the all too familiar sound of laughter. Gross, goblin laughter.

Lenna dared to turn her head at the sound, noticing two of them. She quickly looked back to Galuf, pulling even harder now, until she heard a triumphed "Aha!" He had found the foothold!

As he came back to the land above, he quietly took a moment to catch his breath before grabbing Lenna by the hand and dragging her with him past the goblins. But the goblins were quick, and one slashed at Lenna's side, causing her to drop. Galuf stopped to retrieve her but as he knelt down to grab her, he was hit on the head, also causing him to fall.

Intense pain, a kind she had never felt before, seared through her body. Her body felt cool but her side felt warm. She rolled to her side, grasping clumps of grass from the shaking earth.

The shaking soon stopped and she heard the goblins let out screams of terror. Perhaps they had been devoured by the Earth too…

But then she felt the sensation of being picked up from the ground by the collar of her dress and lifted onto something bumpy. It moved spastically beneath her and she let her head fall against something soft. She also heard Galuf groan. _So he was okay too…_

She soon felt that same drowsiness she had felt earlier and she let it take over. _So Father was right…_

0-0-0-0-0

Lenna slowly opened her eyes to find that the world was sideways. Letting out a sharp breath, she gently raised herself from the grass she had been placed in. She winced as she experienced some discomfort in her side. She brought a hand to it, noticing now that there was dried blood, but no wound. Behind her was Galuf, gently snoozing. To her right though, was the biggest bird she had ever seen. A big, yellow chocobo. It looked down at her from its enormous height, its big eyes studying her. She swallowed her scream as she noticed to her left that there was a figure standing atop a small cliff. The sun was behind him, his silhouette startling familiar.

She shielded her eyes as the man turned to notice that she was awake, and he began to descend the small cliff, giving her a wave as he touched the bottom.

"G'morning," he placed his hands behind his back as he stepped towards Lenna. His voice…

"Bartz!" she exclaimed. So it was _he_ who had come to save her!

He walked until he was directly in front of her, and smiled.

Lenna looked down at her feet, mildly embarrassed. "It seems I cannot escape being in your debt."

He let out a small laugh. "Hey," he said, leaning down to try and catch her gaze, "Don't worry about it."

The chocobo next to her let out a little dance as Bartz moved away to gaze at something else. She watched his back, noticing that he gripped one hand with the other.

"The shockwave from the meteorite's impact caused landslides," he started.

 _Landslides?_ Lenna thought, _it seemed more like the world was falling apart_.

"The road's covered in rubble," he spoke again, "I don't think you're gonna be able to make it to Tule that way."

She walked to stand next to Bartz, wondering what he was staring at in the distance. She looked at the side of his face. "But, if I can't get to the Wind Shrine, then-"

Her words were interrupted by a soft moan from Galuf. Bartz turned his attention over to him now, Lenna following. The old man still seemed to be asleep.

"The Wind Shrine," Galuf moaned, "gotta hurry…"

Bartz placed his hands on his hips staring down at the old man. "The old guy's pretty dead set on getting there, too." he sounded amused.

"All right," he said, now looking at Lenna, "I'll go with you and personally see to it that you get there safely."

Lenna felt her face light up as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "Oh!" she couldn't believe it! "Really?"

"Yeah," he replied. He turned his gaze back to Galuf, "you know, it was my dad's dying wish that I go out and travel the world." He had a dreamy look in his eyes.

"Plus, this time, it feels like- like the wind is calling me," he looked to Lenna and gave her a mischievous wink.

She felt heat rise to her face as a chuckle came from the man still on the floor.

"What a sweet-talker!" he uttered with his face in the dirt, "As if you just don't have the hots for the little missy."

Lenna's eyes grew wide as the blush spread even further across her face. This old man was something else!

Bartz gave a look of surprise towards the old man as he stood up from the grass.

"Wha- You're awake?" he questioned. Surely Bartz hadn't meant anything by the comment, had he?

The old man let out another laugh, this one heartier than the last. "Don't sound so surprised. This old dog is always ready for anything."

He took a step away from the two youngsters. "Still," he began, lifting a finger to his chin, "if the road is blocked, that makes things a sight more difficult."

They all thought for a moment, pondering if they could even make it to Tule.

Lenna spoke first. "I won't give up," she stated, "There must be a way to reach the Wind Shrine."

Galuf stepped up beside her, giving her a wicked grin. "Right. And we'll find it."

Bartz walked over to his large bird and hopped upon its back. "All right," he said, extending his hand, "Let's ride."

He helped Lenna up onto the bird first, taking her seat in front of him, then Galuf, who was placed behind him.

"Why couldn't she be in the middle," the old man protested. Bartz snapped his head to look at him.

"It would've been easier for you to fall off if she was," he explained.

"As if," Galuf mumbled, awkwardly placing his hands on the sides of Bartz, then just settling to place them on the back of the bird.

Lenna felt Bartz's arms on either side of her waist as he reached for feathers on the back of the chocobo's neck. She felt heat rise up her neck at the contact, embarrassing her even more at the thought of being embarrassed. The chancellor would be so scandalized if he saw her now!

Bartz gently kicked the sides of the oversized bird and it lurched forward at an alarming speed. Lenna let out a small noise as she quickly grasped for Bartz's thighs, tightly hanging on.

She felt his breath on her neck as he leaned down so she could hear him. "What's wrong," he shouted over the whirling world, "you've never been on a chocobo?"

She quickly shook her head, still pushing her backside into him and gripping even tighter into his legs.

"Well," he laughed, "there's a first for everything."

She soon relaxed as the world did not seem to be moving so fast, and eventually released her death grip on Bartz and gently smoothed her hands over the soft feathers of the chocobo. Eventually they had to stop as they came to a tall cliff blocking their path.

Galuf, then Bartz then Lenna, plopped down from the back of the large bird, looking to what seemed to be a cave entrance.

Lenna noticed flowers blooming on either side of the entrance, something she had stopped to look at before the meteor impact.

"I don't remember there being a cave here," she reported.

"Probably opened up during one of those quakes," Bartz supplied.

He turned to where his magnificent bird was standing. "Boko," he said patting its neck, "I think this is gonna be a little too dangerous for chocobos. You stay here okay?"

The bird stepped from one foot to the other in protest, but eventually stood down.

"All right guys," Bartz said in triumph, "Let's have a peek inside."


	2. Chapter 2

AN: The first few chapters are a little rough but they get better in the future. I'm using Amano's designs for all the girls and most of the cutscene dialogue is from the PC port. Not really happy with this chapter but I wanted to get it up soon. Thank you for reading!

0-0-0-0-0

As the crew walked into the newly made cave, a cold dampness in the air hit Lenna's senses. The smell of the dank and stale air made her wrinkle her nose as she gently clutched the sides of her dress. The men in her company didn't seem bothered by it, so she sucked it up and decided to breathe through her mouth. Ceilings rose high and an infinite amount of twists and turns struck their path. It could take hours to navigate through the cavern maze.

Their footsteps echoed off the rock walls of the cave, and the sound of dripping water came from nearby. Although they seemed alone, there was a presence of something else dwelling in the caves with them. A constant sensation of being watched never left her, and Lenna worried at the idea of having to fight.

They turned a corner of more jagged rock and Bartz suddenly stopped, holding up his hand. Lenna tried peering around his shoulder but he held out his other arm to keep her back. She tried pushing his arm away with both hands, but he was stronger.

"What is it?" she whispered, too afraid to raise her voice.

Bartz ignored her and instead drew his broadsword. As he started to step away from his spot, Lenna dropped her hands to her sides, brushing against something hard. She remembered that she had strapped a knife to her side when she left the castle. How could she have forgotten about that?

When Bartz had moved enough to where she could finally see what he was looking at, she made the mistake of gasping at what she saw.

"What is _that_?" she said a little too loudly, as the two creatures now turned to face them.

Bartz swore then said without turning, "Fan out!"

The fiends looked to be distant cousins of crabs, but they looked more like over-sized sea monsters. Lenna couldn't see their eyes but they had giant red shells and the biggest pincher claws she had ever seen; they would definitely hurt if they snapped down on flesh.

Lenna grabbed for the knife at her side with frantic hands as she desperately looked to Bartz for help.

"What am I gonna do?" she heard Galuf exclaim. She pried her eyes away to look at the older man and noticed his empty hands.

Bartz also took notice, and Lenna saw his face blanche.

"Just use your fists," Bartz told him with strain in his voice.

They did as Bartz had told them and they fanned out around the two fiends. Bartz raised his sword and quickly swept down near one of the crabs. The swing missed and it quickly scuttled to the side. It snapped at him, but he quickly redeemed himself by diminishing it. It promptly disintegrated, leaving behind its hollow shell.

"Lenna, go for the other one," he told her. Fear struck her as she clutched the knife close to her chest.

"I…it's coming towards me!" she exclaimed in a frightened tone. She held the knife in her hand but she could not physically force herself to move to use it.

"Lenna, you have to kill it!" Bartz tried again.

She froze in fear as the crab made its way towards her, its pinchers snapping, echoing loudly through the cave. She couldn't move her feet as it crept closer.

"Lenna!"

Her eyes were glued to the enemy, but her body felt numb, like she wasn't really there.

Galuf came into her view as he strolled up to the crab and gave it a jab to the side of its shell. It turned its attention towards him; she watched in horror as Bartz strode up behind it and promptly stuck his sword through the shell, all the way through till she heard the tip scrape the cavern floor. The crab wriggled and then grew limp.

Bartz placed his foot on the fallen fiend as he pulled out the sword, putting it back into its sheath on his side. He turned to face Lenna, a scornful look on his face as he approached her.

"Lenna," he began, but he was cut short by the sputtering princess.

"I-I'm sorry…" she whispered, "I couldn't..." She shook her head in disbelief. She was useless in the battle.

Bartz studied her for a moment then turned around to face Galuf instead. "I think I hear running water nearby. Maybe we can rest there for a while."

Galuf grunted in approval and walked ahead leaving the two behind. Bartz stayed by Lenna's side as she started to leave.

"You've never seen monsters before have you?" he asked, placing his hands behind his back.

"What makes you say that?" she questioned. Had she really been that transparent?

Bartz laughed through his nose. "It's pretty obvious. Don't think I've ever seen someone so scared of just devil crabs."

"Devil crabs," she repeated, "Those aren't that dangerous?"

"Not particularly. You saw how easy they went down," he stopped to kick a pebble in their path.

Lenna quietly lowered her head. Her companion was far more experienced in the world than she was and it was apparently very obvious.

"I've never been faced with that kind of danger before," she confessed, "I have been sheltered my whole life. This is the first time I've seen past Tycoon's mountains."

He raised his brows at her revelation, and she noticed that he was lightly dragging his knuckles across the cavern wall.

"Never?" he asked a bit bemused.

"Never," she replied with a shy smile.

He gave her a sigh, "I guess it's a good thing you have me as your guide." He turned and gave her a playful smile.

She felt the heat rise up her neck but Bartz didn't have time to notice as Galuf called their attention. The two quickened their pace and as they rounded the corner, Lenna noticed the sound of running water.

"A spring," she mused, walking to the edge. She stopped before dipping her hands and looked over her shoulder at Bartz. "Is it safe?"

He shrugged his shoulders but proceeded to take off his boots and pull his trousers to above his knees. He waded in and bent down to cup some of the water in his hands, holding them above his head and letting the water cascade down his face.

"Refreshing," he grinned.

"It seems to have magical properties to it," Galuf said from Lenna's side. He too slid off his shoes and waded in a ways.

Lenna knelt down, her hands gripping the edge. The water was rippling because of the men's movements but it stopped long enough for her to gaze at her reflection on the water's surface. Her hair had become unruly and misplaced; her face was covered in dirt and what looked like to be smeared blood.

A gasp escaped her lips as she leaned away from the edge, earning her a concerned look from her compatriots. She leaned back in, pointing towards the water.

"Do I really look like that?" she asked them as she cupped her hands and scrubbed at the grime on her face. The men thought better than to answer the question and turned back to their own thoughts.

After a few more moments of rest, Bartz had deemed that it was time to move on.

The cave seemed to go on forever, and they had run into more fiends, but Lenna never had the chance to try and redeem her earlier plight, as Bartz had taken to her side, dispatching fiends before she even had the chance to blink.

Eventually, they came to a more open area of the cavern; the ceiling rose far above them and ledges were all around. Bartz steps faltered as they reached the top of one of these ledges, and he quickly pulled his partners with him behind a rock. He stood on his tiptoes to peek over the ledge, Lenna and Galuf followed suit.

Lenna's eyes widened as she saw a stout man with an eye patch patrolling about the upper ledge. He looked mean and tough and scraggly and grimy and she swallowed back a biting fear as he turned towards the wall. He ran his hands across it before finally stopping to press the rock. There was a low rumbling noise as another passageway was revealed to their hidden eyes. The man soon disappeared into the passageway, his figure being swallowed up by the surrounding shadows.

"So that's how you get in," Bartz said, breaking their sudden silence. He rolled back onto flat feet and motioned for them to follow.

He started to climb the rocky ledge, carefully finding the correct footholds and small outputs for his hands. Galuf soon followed, a little less gracefully than the younger man, and eventually Lenna was hoisted up with their help.

"What do you think is in there?" she asked, brushing off the front of her dress.

Bartz walked over to where the man was standing before and carefully started running his palm over the wall the way the other had done earlier. He felt every crevice until he finally felt a smoother slab and heard a _click!_

Galuf stood next to her and thoughtfully ran a finger through his crazy gray hair. "Only one way to find out, I guess."

As they stepped through the now open wall and into the dark passage, there was the sound of more running water, but also the sound of a constant roar, like a greater amount of water hitting the sides of rocks. The walls here seemed moister than those in the previous rooms and spaces they had been in. Their steps didn't echo as much as before and there was now the cry of gulls.

"What's that?" Lenna heard Bartz ask. He pointed ahead to a literal bright light at the end of the tunnel. Something that seemed so out of place in the damp darkness of the caverns.

The gang rushed forward to what now was revealed to be an opening in the wall that dropped off to the cliff below. Lenna had to squint her eyes together at the sudden brightness before her. They were staring at the ocean, the strait that was nestled between several kingdoms. The sea was a deep blue and there were no clouds in the afternoon sky. Lenna could see off in the far distance what seemed to be a mountain range that she knew all too well. They were the mountains surrounding her native kingdom.

Her attention then returned to the sea when Bartz had stuck his finger out the opening. She followed his gaze to what looked like a wooden ship. There seemed to be people aboard but they were so far above they looked like ants. The ship was docking at a small port below them and Bartz spoke up.

"That ship just now," he said retracting his finger, "how was it sailing with the wind so weak?"

The question struck the group with a sudden silence as Bartz finally pulled away from the opening. Lenna and Galuf quietly followed as he led them away. It was very peculiar indeed.

The cavern stretched out even further as they climbed countless ledges and rounded numerous corners until finally, they came to a small crevice, just big enough for one person to fit through.

Lenna stepped up to inspect it. "Do you think there's a way out on the other side?"

Bartz stepped up beside her and placed his hand in the open rock. "There's a draft coming from the other side. I'll squeeze through, then let you know if it's safe."

Without a second thought, he disappeared into the rock.

Several minutes passed and Lenna grew worried. She started to wonder if Bartz had made it safely to the other side, only to be caught by monsters. Or maybe he had found something to help them get out of the cave; perhaps a way out, a path maybe, and he decided to follow it all the way through to see where it led. Or maybe someone had found him…

She soon heard a "psst" and a hand appeared in the crevice.

"Bartz?" she asked, leaning her head towards the crack. Galuf pulled up beside her and did the same.

"It's safe to come through, but you have to be quiet," he told her, shaking his hand at her. "We may have some trouble."

"Trouble?" Galuf questioned, "What kind of trouble?"

"I don't have time to explain, just hurry and squeeze through," he explained in a worried whisper. He shook his hand a little violently.

Lenna took his hand and slid into the wall, sideways, like she had seen him do earlier. He firmly grasped her hand and she tried to make out his face in the darkness of their tiny space. He silently tugged her and they proceeded to shimmy through the wall. Jagged rock jutted out in every spot and Lenna had to bend and move in ways so she wouldn't get caught on it, but as they reached the other end, one scrapped the side of her face, going unnoticed by the princess.

Bartz finally wormed out of the hole and gently guided Lenna out with him. She looked around at her new surroundings. Much like every other part of the caverns, there was the sound of running water and stale air and the same grey, cold rocks that made up everything in the cave. She was beginning to grow tired of seeing the same thing.

But there was something new that had caught her eye. Two big, black flags with a skull and two swords crossed behind it. There was one on either side of the two walls that stood before her. Her eyes grew wide as she came to the slow realization of what they might represent.

There was a grunt and Galuf's head popped out of the crevice. He gave them an angry face, glancing down at the lower part of their bodies. Lenna gave him a perplexed look; Bartz cleared his throat and Lenna drew her attention to where he was gazing down. His hand! She was still holding his hand!

With a bright red spreading across her cheeks, she quickly let go and hid her hands behind her back, Bartz and Galuf making their way up to the flag hanging on the right.

"So this is the trouble you were talking about," Galuf said, sounding and looking a little less angry.

"Yeah," Bartz replied, absently tracing his hand across the flag.

Suddenly his eyes grew wide as he stood very still. Lenna strained her ears, Galuf froze as he was about to speak again. Normally, in these caves, the sounds of every little noise they made echoed off the floor, the walls, the ceiling. But Lenna could barely make out the sound of heavy footsteps dragging, and what seemed to be another voice, one that was not their own.

Bartz stepped away from the flag and tilted his body to a degree so he could see past the edge of the wall, but as quickly as he had done that he shifted back and pushed Lenna and Galuf into the corner, a slight sound of protest coming from both. Bartz held a finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet.

The sound of the talking stopped as did the footsteps; the three of them waiting in agony, waiting to be discovered. Lenna held her breath, Galuf closed his eyes, and Bartz kept his hand up, still listening.

Seconds later, the steps returned, but they were getting farther and farther away. They all exhaled with relief, and believing it safe to come out, Bartz pulled away from his spot and peered around the corner of the wall they had taken refuge behind.

He turned back to his companions with an unreadable expression on his face. "This is a pirate's hideout," he gestured towards the black flag beside him. "Meaning that ship we saw must've been a pirate ship."

Galuf let out a slow sigh and rubbed his eyes with his finger and thumb, Bartz kept his gaze to the floor. It was obvious that they were starting to lose a little hope, perhaps whatever hope that they had left, of reaching the Wind Shrine.

Lenna on the other hand, saw the current situation as an opportunity. In fact, the news Bartz had just given them _filled_ her with hope.

"I wonder if they would give us a ride?" she hadn't meant to say it out loud, but she did, and the look the men in her company gave her was incredulous.

"Um, I think the only ride they'd be interested in," Bartz started, "would be a keel-haul for all three of us."

Lenna looked down at her boots. Once again, her naivety and inexperience had shown through. How could she have suggested something so stupid?

"Yeah," Galuf chimed in, "You can't ask a favor from a pirate." He looked to where the pirate had been standing, and then, as if the graces of the gods had bestowed upon him the most brilliant idea, he added: "That's why we'll just sneak on and steal their ship."

It was Lenna's turn to give him an incredulous look. Steal a ship? From pirates? That was a crazy idea, but then again, so was hers.

Bartz let out a bewildered half-laugh. "Whoa, you're pretty gutsy for an old timer."

Galuf gave a hearty laugh and moved aside with the sweep of his hand to signal Bartz to lead the way.

For a time, they quietly made their way through the pirate hideout, looking for a way onto the ship. They came across many doors, but all were blocked by the snoring pirates. There was one close encounter, when Galuf had sneezed near one, and he had awoken. Lenna and the others had scrambled to hide behind the closest rock while the pirate had checked his surroundings for the noise. Eventually he had returned to his post and was quickly snoozing once again.

Finally, they had found a dock that stretched from inside the pirate hideout all the way to the ocean they had seen through the wall earlier. The ship from earlier was also there. Big and wooden and apparently abandoned. There was no one aboard it.

The wooden dock beneath them creaked loudly as Galuf ran ahead, Bartz and Lenna close behind. The ship was beautiful, obviously well taken care of. From the few stories Lenna had heard about pirates from her childhood, she was surprised it was so well kept.

Bartz and Galuf now made their way to the helm of the ship, quietly arguing over how to pilot it and who would pilot it.

Bartz firmly grasped the wheel and let out a theatrical laugh, "Yo-ho-ho and stuff," he said with an extreme pirate accent. "Time to cast off!"

Lenna and Galuf looked to the sea out ahead of them, but after a few moments and the realization that they had not started moving, Galuf looked to the young man.

"Well?" he asked, "'Cast off' means start sailing, kid."

"I know that," he replied haughtily. He violently shook the wheel, trying to move it. "The wheel won't even budge. How do you work this thing?"

Galuf opened his mouth to retort, but a voice from the front of the ship interrupted him.

"Try working anything and there will be the devil to pay!"

The voice was harsh but not entirely malicious. It made Lenna freeze.

The band of pirates that had been hanging in the hideout was now following another man. This man was decked out in a beautiful and lavish waistcoat, stunning and shining necklaces and bracelets and rings adorned his body. He had a stern face but there were softer features to it, unlike any she had ever seen on any man before. His long, blonde locks were pulled back at the nape of his neck. He was, in a way, beautiful.

"Trying to steal my ship, are you?" his voice, there was something about his voice, "You've a lot of brass." He took a step closer to the trio and Lenna saw her companions tense at the movement. "Or mayhap you're just lacking in brains! I'd wager it's the latter."

He gave out a taunt laugh and the crew followed his lead.

Bartz started to protest but before he could trouble things further, Lenna spoke up.

"Wait!" she held up her hand as a sign of peace, and stepped forward. "I am Princess Lenna of Tycoon. Please accept my apologies for attempting to commandeer your ship."

Although she couldn't see them, she could only imagine the looks on the faces behind her. The two men started whispering fiercely.

"What? Princess…"

"…Of Tycoon?"

She took another step forward, desperately hoping her years of diplomatic training, manners and etiquette, would finally come to use.

"Sir, this is a formal request from the kingdom of Tycoon." The man waited for her to go on. "Please, allow us to use your vessel. I must get to the Wind Shrine- my father is in danger!" she heard her voice crack on the last syllable, but she swallowed her pride and waited for an answer to her request.

The man looked around to his men and let out another laugh. Once again they followed suit.

"Oho, the princess of Tycoon, here on my ship?" he seemed to be fairly amused, trying to hold back his laughter. "I'm sure we could fetch a good price for this one." He released a tempting smile.

Bartz rushed forward to stand next to Lenna. "Hey! Leave her alone, you degenerate, lecherous, piratety…" he struggled to think of better insults.

Lenna ignored Bartz and tried to walk even closer to close the distance between her and the pirate.

"I beg of you, please…"

The look on his face became one of shock, he looking down at her chest. "That pendant…"

Lenna looked down at her pendant. The one given to her by her father when she was still just a child. She never took it off, never ever. It reminded her of a long forgotten friend, never to be seen again…

The man stepped away from her and quietly discussed something with his first mate beside him. He then looked back to Lenna, his face like that of a statue.

"Toss the lot of 'em into the brig," he instructed, unmoving.

Lenna and the others let out a sound of protest as henchman moved to grab them. Galuf spat at them and Bartz wriggled out of the grasp of his, only to be held down by another. Lenna did not struggle; instead she quietly lamented her fate and willingly let the pirate guide her below the deck.

0-0-0-0-0

The small cell they had been placed in was small, and damp, the sickening stench of ungodly proportions filled the room. The wooden planks creaked at every movement above deck, the constant sound of busy feet sent small particles of dust through the air. Their arms were bound tightly to their sides, the itchy rope wound many times around their torsos.

Galuf was the first to speak up, after hours of just sitting there in the dim lighting.

"Well, this is a fine how-do-you-do." He joked dryly. "What genius came up with the idea to steal a pirate ship, anyway?"

Bartz scoffed and shook his head. "Look in the mirror, Pops."

Galuf's eyes widened and then he quickly squinted them shut. "Oh, my aching head," he complained, "I can't remember a thing."

"And your amnesia oh-so-conveniently returns," Bartz muttered.

Lenna quietly watched them from her corner of the room, a faint smile spread across her face.

Bartz caught her gaze and scooted himself as best as he could towards her.

"Still," he said not taking his eyes away from hers. They shined oh-so-brilliantly, even in the face of uncertainty. "I can't believe you're really the princess of Tycoon, Lenna."

Lenna shied away from his gaze and turned her attention to the floor beside her.

"I'm sorry; I didn't intend to keep it a secret." And she hadn't, she really hadn't. It just wasn't that important.

Bartz studied her, taking in every inch of her. Even though she wasn't looking, she could feel his eyes on her in the dark light. _What does he see?_ She wondered.

"It's not that big a deal," he finally said. She gave him a grateful look.

"But if you're the princess," he continued, her heart involuntarily dropped at this, "Why were you going to the Wind Shrine all alone?" His face seemed to actually hold some concern.

"My father is there," her voice was barely a whisper. So much emotion wanted to be released, the uneasy fear of what might have happened to her only family. "He hadn't been gone long when the wind slowed to almost nothing." She took a shaky breath. "I just can't shake the feeling that something terrible is happening."

She looked at Bartz again, and he gave her a reassuring nod. "I slipped out alone to head to the shrine, but then that meteorite fell and… well you know the rest."

He turned away from her, resting his head against the wall. "Yeah, I guess I do," he mused. Across the room, Galuf let out a strong snore. "We should get some rest too."

Lenna nodded and imitated him, resting her head against the wall, feeling the vibrations of the wood, and the creaking of the ship. Slowly, sleep consumed her.

0-0-0-0-0

As morning came, the doors to the small cell burst open. Three pirates came in and roughly hoisted each of them to their feet, grogginess still fresh in their minds. It was a startling feeling, being dragged to your feet, straight from the depths of sleep with no forewarning.

They were pushed up the steps and out into the sunshine that covered the deck of the ship.

The captain of the ship was quietly arguing with his first mate.

"But Captain," Lenna overheard the first mate say, "What about the landlubbers?"

"Untie them," he said with a harsh tongue.

His crew stood there in shock at their captain's sudden mercy. He grew impatient.

"I meant sometime today!"

Lenna felt the pirate behind her slip his sword between her back and the rope, he quickly drew it back towards him, the rope falling to a heap on the ground. She looked down at her arms and frowned at the red rope burns that covered them.

"But…Why?" Lenna asked. She certainly hadn't been expecting this.

"I reconsidered your request," the captain said flatly, "You can go back into the brig if you'd rather."

When he didn't receive a response he quickly turned toward the sea. "Pull anchor! We sail for the Wind Shrine."

His crew once again stood dumbfounded. He turned over his shoulder. "Hey! Something wrong with your ears? I hope I don't have to repeat myself!"

The band of pirates began to scramble to their positions and posts, pulling ropes and preparing to leave the port.

Lenna received a sudden burst of courage and strode up next to the captain, startling him greatly.

"But the wind has stopped…" She frowned, "How can the ship move?"

He gave her a wicked smile, "Full of curiosity, aren't you, lass?"

He turned to bow of the ship. "Syldra!" he shouted, "Come up and say hello!"

Nothing happened at first but the ship had started to rumble. Lenna grabbed for the railing, peering over the side of the ship, the deep blue water churning below.

She gasped as the very large head of a monstrous beast slowly surfaced from the water. A sea serpent it looked like. It had beautiful amber eyes, purple and green scales adorned its beautiful body. It opened it large maw, letting out a soul crushing shriek.

Lenna stared in wonder, her mouth agape, and the captain spoke up. "Beautiful, isn't she?" he said in a voice so low, only she could hear. "Syldra and I were raised together. We're close as siblings."

Lenna tore her stare from the beautiful beast and looked at this new side of the captain. But he looked away before he could notice, instead looking at Galuf and Bartz."

"Alright!" he announced, a smirk across his face, "We're off!"


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thank you for leaving reviews, they make my day when I read them. I hope you're all ready for the long journey ahead. I hope you all had happy holidays!

0-0-0-0-0

Lenna had already spent several hours aboard the pirate ship and she was already bored.

The blue sea stretched on for miles and she could barely see the outline of the coast on each side of the ship. The strait they traveled through had mountains along all of its shores. Mountains seemed to follow Lenna wherever she went, forever trapping her from the rest of the world.

She had tried to pass the time on the ship by making conversation with the pirates around her, but she soon grew tired of their brief grunts and smelly odor. They didn't seem to be very good at making conversation.

When she had tried talking to the captain of the ship, whom she learned was named Faris, his sentences and responses were also brief.

"Captain Faris?" she approached.

"Faris is just fine, lass," he told her without looking up from the map in front of him and his first mate. They were navigating their route through the narrow strait. "Can I help ya?"

Lenna's mind drew a blank. She had come to make small conversation, to get to know their new traveling companion better, but now she grew nervous. The captain and the first mate turned to look at her when she had not spoken.

"Well?"

She swallowed, trying to quickly come up with something to say. "Do you have an estimate on when we will arrive at the shrine?"

Faris raised a brow at her and glanced back to the map, then out to sea.

"Another hour or so," he told her. Both he and the first mate turned their attention to the map. "Hopefully."

"Thank you, Captain," she said quietly, retreating to the other side of the boat.

After the missed social catastrophe with the captain and his fellow pirates, she found Galuf, hanging over the side of the ship, his feet stuck between the openings in the railings. She approached quietly, so not to scare him and fall overboard. As she drew near, she noticed that he was spitting off the side of the ship, watching the saliva disappear into the waves. It was such an odd sight, to see an old man leaning a little too far over the edge, acting like a child.

"Galuf," she said it softly but he still jumped at the sound of her voice, "what are you doing?"

He hopped back from the railing and bounced on his feet. He seemed to be full of energy despite his age. He broke out into a grin.

"Just seeing if it was the same," he replied simply. He leaned his head over the railing again, looking deep into the waters. "It is."

"What is the same?"

"Spitting into the sea," he answered as if it was obvious.

"Why would it be different? And when have you done it before?"

He suddenly scrunched his face up as if the question hurt him. "I can't remember."

"Sorry," she supplied, once again defeated by her own words.

"I'm gonna have a word with the captain," he told her instead, paying no heed to her apology. "See when we'll be arriving."

"I've already asked."

"Well I'm asking again." He pushed himself from the railing and strode past the princess. She winced.

"Do you know where Bartz is?" she had one more shot at finding an agreeable conversational companion.

"Somewhere below deck," he called over his shoulder while dismissively waving his hands.

Lenna watched Galuf walk up to the helm and start to argue with the captain as she made her way below deck, hoping to find the young man.

As she climbed down the stairs to where they had been kept the previous day. The wooden ship below deck was not in as pristine condition as above. Buckets filled with dirty water were strewn about the tight corridor. Light sconces hung haphazardly from the walls, only one of them lit. At the end of the corridor was two crates stacked on one another, and Bartz, the man she had been looking for was perched atop them.

Lenna felt a small smile spread across her lips as she crossed the hall towards him. He was slouched against the wall, his head almost touching the ceiling from the height of the crates. His broadsword lay across his lap, his grey eyes studying it intensely. His leg was crossed underneath his thigh, the other swinging absently.

"What are you looking at?" It was a weak conversation starter but it was something.

Instead of jumping, like her previous talk with a certain older man, he looked up quickly, then back down at his lap with a smile.

"Just this old sword," he said picking it up and swinging it a little too wildly. It scraped the ceiling, causing splinters to rain on the floor. His eyes widened as he broke out in to a bewildered grin.

Lenna stared in shock, and then burst into laughter. Bartz followed suit also unable to suppress his amusement at the sudden mishap. He dropped the sword off the side of the crate and onto the floor. She walked up to the crates and rested her chin on the surface of the top one, looking up at Bartz. She placed her arms behind her back as he stared back at her.

"What brings you down here?" he asked her. It was obvious he was trying to be nonchalant about it. His hands fidgeted nervously in his lap.

"I was looking for you."

"Me?"

"Yes. I needed someone to talk to and while the captain seems like a decent fellow, neither he, nor his pirate crew, are very good at making conversation."

Bartz made a face. "What about Galuf?"

"When I found him, he was leaning off the side of the ship, spitting."

"Spitting?" he asked incredulously.

Lenna laughed. "Yes, spitting. He then took off to speak with our captain, but last I saw them they were arguing."

"Huh," he turned to look at the only lit sconce. "What a weirdo."

"Indeed," Lenna agreed.

"So, am I your last choice then?" he feigned hurt.

Lenna was taken aback at first but realized he was joking. "Well of course, you must save the best for last."

Bartz gave her a grin. He had a nice smile. It reached his eyes, never fake, always full of light. She enjoyed it.

He suddenly moved over, patting the small space on the crate next to him. Lenna extended her right hand, using the other to lift up her dress and trailing veil, carefully placing her foot on the bottom box. Bartz grabbed her hand and hoisted her up next to him. She involuntarily blushed at their new proximity.

"So," he started, "You told me you never left Tycoon before yesterday."

"Yes. It's true."

"Well, how do you like it so far? The world I mean."

She looked down at her hands. It was quite spectacular to see the world. But the circumstances were unfavorable.

"It's different than I expected," she told him. "A lot more…dangerous."

"Yeah, the world is cruel in that way." He gave her a sidelong glance.

"Tell me this, Sir Wanderer," she said instead, bumping his shoulder, "how is it that you are so experienced in the world? How do you know how to wield a sword? Were you a soldier for some kingdom? You can't possibly be _that_ old."

He chuckled. "My father taught me when I was young. He was skilled in many things." He paused, then spoke again. "You ask a lot of questions."

"I'm just curious. I've never met someone like you before."

"Like me?" he asked with a contemplative tone. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she began. How could she phrase it without sounding like a star struck little girl? "You're so…well versed in the way of things. You're nothing like the castle workers at home. You're much more exciting."

"I'm sure some of them could be just as exciting if you gave them the chance."

"I suppose, but how many of them have offered to personally escort me to the Wind Shrine."

Bartz gave her that incredible grin again. They sat in silence for a few minutes, soaking in the comfort of having a companion.

"Where are you from?" she found herself wanting to know more about the lone wanderer. He was almost enchanting in a way.

"Lix," he seemed lost in thought, a faint smile with him.

"I've never heard of it."

"You haven't heard of a lot of things," he reminded her.

"Right," she said. How could she forget?

"It's not actually that well-known," he confessed. "It's a very small town, very hard to get to. You wouldn't be the first to not know about it. It's probably not even on most maps."

The comment made her feel a little better, but nonetheless she was still embarrassed. She was naïve, blessedly so, and she wondered what Bartz thought about it. Was he starting to rethink coming along with her? Maybe he thought it was a mistake, to take on such a task; escorting a princess who has never seen past her own kingdom. She was probably a child in his eyes, a little girl that got lost on the way home, and he just happened to find her. He just wanted to help; it was after all the right thing to do.

She shook the thought from her head. "Well, where is it then?"

He thought for a moment then spoke. "North from where we are right now. Not that far from the Wind Shrine."

"So you've been there before?" Was that why he was escorting her? It was just a stop on the way home?

"No, I've never been there before. But my dad might've been, I'm not sure."

Lenna took the information in. Maybe their fathers had met before at the Wind Shrine; her father visited it often enough to check on things. He was the self-proclaimed guardian of the Wind Crystal, taking much pride in the way things were at _his_ shrine and how _he_ ran things as opposed to the other three kingdoms looking after their respective elements.

"If Lix is so small," she continued to prod, "what is it like? Compared to the many big places I'm sure you've seen."

He laughed. "Well, there's not much to do, but we made it work. I hung out with the few other kids that lived there and we played games and whatnot. Our favorite was always hide and seek."

"Hide and seek?" the princess asked with a raised brow. "I'll have you know I am quite the expert at hide and seek."

"I imagine you would be with an entire castle to hide in."

Lenna gave him a pout but soon broke into a giggle and he followed suit. She felt relief that she had not royally screwed up with this conversation. Not yet at least.

But she did not have to worry about ruining it as Galuf came down the stairs.

"We're about to dock," he announced, clomping down the steps.

Lenna looked to him surprised at his announcement. "But that was not nearly an hour."

Galuf rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest, annoyed. "Well it seems the captain was wrong, we're here. Now."

"The captain was wrong," Bartz mused as he hopped off the crates. He stooped down to pick up his broadsword.

"He blamed it on the first mate," Galuf told him turning over his shoulder, already walking back up to the deck.

Bartz turned towards the crates to help Lenna back down but she had already hopped down like he had done before. She brushed off her dress, flashing him a smile before turning to ascend the stairs.

0-0-0-0-0

The Wind Shrine was big and bold and beautiful. It looked extremely ancient and old, giant marble pillars held the roof above their heads, but it was in the best condition. The roof was blue and pristine, every shingle where it should be, no sign of wear and tear. It was surrounded by a large forest, its dark greens and leafy textures a stark contrast to the brilliant shrine.

Lenna was starting to grow anxious; she was finally here. After two days of travel and an unsavory sequence of unfortunate events, she was _here_. So close to her father now, she could only hope that he was still here and he had not already hopped aboard his drake to fly back home. She had not seen the drake outside, her heart growing heavy with fear.

Inside was even grander. The white marble pillars remained but the floors were now dark stone, smooth and cold. The walls were intricately designed with ancient runes, runes said to hold the power of an ancient magic.

The four of them, the pirate captain had come along after telling his crew to stay aboard the ship, entered the room where the shrine's scientists and keepers worked. There were many of them, all bustling about, frantically waving papers in the air and yelling diagnostics. A man in the midst of the chaos spotted them and walked up.

"Princess Lenna!" he exclaimed, the worry in his eyes becoming deeper.

Lenna straightened as she recognized him as one of her father's advisors, trying to keep her voice clear and calm. "What's happened? What's the matter?"

"The wind's suddenly stopped," his voice was tight, "and there are monsters in the shrine."

Lenna felt the color drain from her face, the worried heart already working too hard. A question pecked at her mind, begging her to ask it.

"What about Father?" she dared to ask it.

It was the advisors turn to lose color, tearing his look away from her and dropping it to the floor. "The king went up to the top floor…he has yet to return."

Lenna's heart constricted even further, she felt as though it was now a helpless cause.

Faris stepped forward, standing next to the princess. "The crystal's up on the top floor, right?" He had a gleam in his eye. "Won't hurt to go up and take a look."

"Faris…" Lenna smiled, he was just trying to reassure her. The captain was a much different man than the first impression he had made. "Come on."

She turned and pushed through the workers, she had a job to do and she was not about to stop now.

The other three followed, climbing up stairs and working their way through the endless maze of corridors. It seemed around every corner was a fiend, trying to prevent them from reaching the floor where the king was.

On one particular floor, a white serpent creature blocked their path. Faris and Bartz drew their swords and Galuf readied his hands. They circled the creature, waiting for it to strike.

Bartz looked over his shoulder at Lenna. "Stay here," he told her.

Before Lenna could respond, she was ready to fight, Faris gave out a huff.

"This is a waste of time," and with that, he swiftly brought down his sword on the foe. It fell limply to the floor, its head gone.

He walked up to Bartz. "That girl is more than capable of fighting."

Bartz seathed his sword, shocked. "What? But you weren't there when-"

"Ah!" the captain held up his hand. "Any man, or women I suppose," he said glancing at Lenna, "With capable hands is capable of fighting."

He left it at that and left the others to follow.

They continued on, more stairs and more halls, until they came to the big chamber doors. More runes were spread intricately across them. Lenna noticed that they were slightly ajar, a soft blue light spilling into the hallway.

The princess approached extending her arm to the handle, but a blast of air pushed her back. She covered her eyes as they started to dry, eventually the wind gave out and was dying down. A giant bird stood in their way, purple and orange. Its feathers made it look like flames.

"Incoming!" Bartz shouted, all drawing their weapons.

The bird let out a magnificent _caw_! loud enough to make them cover their ears. It flapped its wings, the largest gust of wind blowing them further and further back.

"Stand your ground!" Lenna heard though she wasn't sure who had said it.

All at once, they leapt into action. Faris swung his sword, clipping its wing. Bartz dove his into its chest, earning him a cry of pain. Galuf swung his fists, barely making a dent but he gave a valiant effort.

Lenna stood to the side, grasping her knife with uneasy hands. She caught the captain's eye who had stopped to catch his breath.

"Lenna!" he called above the chaos. "You can do it. It's a fight for survival."

Lenna nodded, looking back to the bird. It would've been beautiful- if it was not out for blood.

She stared at it, fear once again working into her heart. Her mind raced, images of her companions, her home, her family- her family! Her father, he was supposedly just beyond those doors. All she had to do was get past this damned bird.

She stared at the knife in her hands, then back at the bird. She did the only logical thing she could do; she prayed and then promptly threw it.

It whizzed past her friends, hitting the bird dead in the eye. The fighters turned towards her, surprised.

Faris gave her a reassuring smile, pride beaming in his eyes.

They hacked and sawed at it until it screamed a blood curdling scream that sounded almost human. It fell to the floor in a lifeless heap.

Lenna took the lead, turning back towards the chamber, pulling the door open with shaking hands. She stood in the open doorway, her mouth wide open, expecting to see her father or the crystal or something. But nothing was there, nothing but bits of glass on the cold dark floor.

But she soon realized that it was not glass it was-

"The crystal-" she sputtered.

"It's shattered," Bartz said softly.

Before anyone could say anything else the room flashed, bright lights coming from the shards.

"The crystals," a ghostly whisper. It had come from none of them.

"Let us guide you," another supplied.

"Take our light," each was a different voice, each echoing throughout the chamber.

Bartz eyebrows scrunched together. "What the-"

His words were cut short by an unearthly red glow.

"Courage, the essence of flame," came a woman's voice.

A cry came from the pirate captain as he fell to his knees, clutching his abdomen. It glowed bright, the red glow coming from within. Lenna reached out a hand but quickly retracted it as she soon felt nauseous. She dropped to the floor, cradling her head.

"Devotion, the essence of water…" a man's voice, strong and firm.

Galuf took a step towards the two. "What in blazes-"

His thought also interrupted as he stumbled backwards, grasping for the floor. He fell to his side, gasping for air.

"Hope, the essence of earth," This, a child's voice.

Lenna looked to her companions; the only one standing was Bartz. He stood there staring at where the crystal had been, almost as if he was in a trance. A soft light still resided in the crystal's holding, light and blue. The wanderer held out his hands, cupped together as if he were beckoning it towards him.

The light grew brighter, lifting out of its cradle, making its way towards Bartz and landing safely in his hands.

"Passion, the essence of wind…" The voice was indistinguishable between a man and woman.

Bartz closed his eyes and his hands, the twinkling light disappearing.

"What's happening?" Faris gruffed out, shaking as he tried to push himself off the floor.

Galuf stood and brushed off his trousers, swaying a little as he place a hand to his head. "Feels warm…"

Lenna also stood, regaining her composure. "Are these the crystals'…essences?"

They all shuffled in uncomfortable silence as they pondered the thought.

"Le… nna…" a rough voice came from in the room.

She gasped, she knew that voice.

They all turned back to the crystal's former place, a flashing figure standing in its spot. Blue robes adorned it, a giant horned helm on its head.

"Father!"

His body was flickering as if in and out of existence. He was not truly there.

"Listen, and listen well." His voice sounded metallically. "You four are the chosen ones," he extended his fingers towards them. "The warriors of light…bearers of the four crystals' essences."

Lenna felt tears start to form in her eyes. There he was, the man she had been searching for, but he was not really there. Was this all that was left of him? Was he only a spirit now?

"Father," her voice was shaking, the tears threatening to fall, "what do you mean?"

"The wind crystal has already shattered," he went on, "The other three crystals are in danger. You must protect them!"

Faris stepped up next to her, enamored by the ghostly image. He reached out a hand to the king.

"An evil presence is awakening," the king warned. "One that wishes to return everything to darkness."

Just as quickly as he had appeared, King Tycoon had begun to glow. Fluorescent blue, he slowly ascended above them.

Lenna ran up the few steps of the altar. "Father!" she shouted. The tears had started to fall.

He disappeared, but his voice remained. "Go forth, Light Warriors! Save the crystals."

The crystal shards on the floor began to vibrate, moving slowly across the floor to the newly named warriors.

"What are these?" Lenna asked, wiping away her tears.

"Guess they're pieces of the crystal," Bartz suggested. His eyes were darker now, not as lively as they had been a few hours before.

They began to shake even more violently as they too ascended in the air. They flew into the hands of each warrior.

"Crystal fragments," the ghostly voices were back.

"And stored within, the power of the warriors of legend." Another claimed.

Lenna rolled the two she had received over in her hands. They were jagged and hard and cold, but they sparkled brilliantly in her hands.

Bartz raised his, inspecting them in the absence of light. It glistened, then sparked. He promptly dropped it and stepped away with a fearful face.

It popped and cracked until a figure stood before him, transparent. He wore a battered helmet, and gauntlets adorned him. A billowing red cape held its home across his back. His face was hard to make out, it was like a fog constantly moving and hard to place.

He stepped forward and bowed.

"I am Agro, the great knight." He spoke with a soft voice, one that sounded like that of a fourteen year old boy. "Please accept my light."

Before Bartz could reply, the warrior faded into mist, but he was soon replaced by the other crystal in Bartz's hand. It flew to the same spot, another figure appearing.

This one stood tall and proud, he was clad in leather armlets and cotton pants and flats.

"I am Dal, the grand monk," his voice was deep. "Please take my guidance."

And just as the warrior had before. He dissipated into a mist. And once again he was replaced by one of Faris's crystals.

"I am Talibah, the blue mage," this warrior was a woman, dressed in pauldrons and a blue mask. "Accept my guidance."

As she faded, the next crystal jumped.

"I am Gavril, the diligent theif," this man had a bandana around his head and a smirk on his face. "Let me help you."

The next crystal came from Lenna's hand. A face covered by a big pointy hat and dark blue robes stood before her.

"I am Chantla, the brave black mage," came a woman's voice from beneath the hat. "I will guide you."

The last crystal shard jumped from her hands, skittering across the floor. A woman with a braid and white robes held out her hands towards Lenna. The princess shivered, feeling as if she was under a stern gaze even if she couldn't see her eyes.

"I am Deidre, the courageous white mage," her voice was soft and gentle. "Take my light."

Instead of falling to the floor in a cloud of mist, mist swarmed around her. It swirled and swirled, five times in total, revealing the other spirits of the crystal shards.

"Accept our light," the knight said from under his helm.

"We will guide you when you need it most," the thief told them.

"Call upon us and we shall shed the light upon your path," the white mage called to them.

One by one, they disappeared, each saying "Take our light."

"Take our light."

"Take our light."

The room was quiet once again. No one spoke, no one moved, all they did was stand in their spots, lamenting their new found fate.

Was the world really in their hands?

0-0-0-0-0

AN: WHEW! I decided to try and go more in depth with the whole "spirits of the warriors inside the crystal shards" thing. I hope it goes well.

It took me forever to try and write this chapter and although it's not in the place I want it to be, I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: OH YEAH BABY Every job class is getting a special hero description (I know there's a lot) but do not worry; only a few will reappear from time to time in the story. I don't know about you guys but I NEVER used all of them and usually stuck to only a few for each character. ANYWAYS, onto the story!

0-0-0-0-0

The walk back to the ship was silent. No one had the courage to speak after the encounter with the spirits of the crystals.

Lenna wasn't sure about the others but she felt exhausted, emotionally and physically. She dragged her feet and carried on towards the ship as if in a trance, her eyes out of focus and her arms hanging loosely at her sides. It seemed to take longer walking back to the ship than to the shrine and she hated every step she took.

She had failed to save her father. She had gotten a glimpse of him, a tiny mirage of something that resembled the king, but he was not really there. She knew he was alive, she could still feel his energy residing somewhere in the world and she would find him. His parting words had been that of a warning, something about the four of them becoming Warriors of Light. Then the crystals…

The crystals' shards were sentient beings, spirits of the great warriors of the past. She had heard stories from her father of how important and ancient the crystals were, but never in her wildest dreams would she have ever thought that these spirits would reside in them. She knew that the crystals were supposedly were the source of healers' and mages' magic, but she wondered how they channeled it. The crystals were now much more powerful than anyone could've thought; she almost didn't believe it.

Once they were back on the ship, the pirate crew greeted their captain, but were soon confused by the melancholy aura that surrounded the four warriors. They quietly went about their chores, waiting for their orders.

Faris was the first to speak.

"Where do we go now?" His voice was soft, thick with worry.

The group looked to each other, not really sure. They were given a task, to protect the other three crystals, but where did they start?

"Maybe we should go check on the Water Crystal. I think it's the closest one to where we are now." Bartz suggested.

Lenna thought about it. She remembered from her studies that the Water Crystal was held somewhere in Walse which was on the other side of the northern mountains of Tycoon, which they could not get around or over. They wouldn't be able to get past the eastern mountains around the Wind Shrine either. The only way…

"We'll have to go through the Torna Canal," she said, all eyes turning towards her. "To reach the crystal in Walse."

"The canal's been locked up for some time," Bartz told her as he watched Faris walk over to a table with the maps. "I'm not sure we can get though."

She frowned. There had to be _some way_ to get to that crystal. She had to fulfill the task her father had given them, given her.

"The only place we can reach now," Faris said looking at the map, "is Tule. We should head there and regroup. Gather our bearings."

Galuf hummed in approval, the others nodding. Lenna was feeling quite tired, she could use a good rest.

"Let's go then," she sighed. "How long should this trip take?"

"Two hours," the captain said, then quietly added: "Hopefully."

0-0-0-0-0

Lenna followed Bartz and the others into the small town of Tule. It was another quiet walk, each person to their own thoughts. Dread hung heavy over their heads.

They approached the entrance to the town when the pirate crew had suddenly started shouting and jeering. They leapt up and down, pushing each other around and clapping one another on the backs of their friends. They were obviously excited about something in this town.

"Beer! Beer!" they chanted. They couldn't stay still as they looked expectantly at their captain.

Faris gave them a small nod of his head towards the pub as he crossed his arms across his chest. They cheered in excitement as they ran into the pub, throwing the door open and startling a patron walking out. A small smile flashed across the captain's face.

He looked back at the other three. "I think I'll stop in and have a drink as well."

"Is that what you call 'gathering your bearings'?" Bartz asked him with his own smile, a brow raised.

The captain gave him a sour look, but didn't say anything as he flicked a hand and walked towards the pub himself.

"Let's follow them," Lenna suggested, also walking towards the pub. She wasn't sure what else to do. It was too early to sleep and she didn't know where anything was in this town.

"Hey, wait a sec," Bartz reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Have you ever gone inside a pub before?"

"No…" she frowned. What was wrong with a pub? It was just a place to wind down, wasn't it? She didn't voice her thoughts, afraid of being embarrassed by her naivety once again.

"Well, stay close to me then," he commanded. "It's full of pirates getting drunk and we don't know what else."

"Don't talk to anyone with a drink in their hand," Galuf recommended, "they most likely won't want to be bothered."

Lenna scrunched her brows together. "Okay."

Bartz let her go and led them into the pub. The smell hit her nose immediately. Sweat, alcohol, and something not completely holy. It was dimly lit and the pirate crew was strewn about the place, some shouting, some drinking, and others passed out, _already_ drunk. They surely didn't waste any time. There was a stage, several women in short tops and sheer bottoms on it, dancing with grace and skill for men near the stage. There were also several other patrons in the pub, but they kept to themselves, some wearing a look of panic while casting fleeting glances at the pirates.

"Where's Faris?" Galuf asked, taking in his surroundings and finally setting his eyes on the bar. He left Lenna and Bartz before he could hear the answer.

"The captain's upstairs," one of the pirates near the door answered. He teetered wildly on his feet before finding an open chair.

The pirate in the seat next to him looked up at them. He grinned devilishly, leaning across the table and squinting his eyes.

"Huh…" he slurred, "if you look real close, yer a fetching lass, Lenna!"

Lenna tried to hide her grin, the compliment temporarily lifting her spirits. She nodded her thanks to him, following Bartz once more through the room.

He tried making his way towards the bar where Galuf was already having himself a drink, but was quickly intercepted by one of the dancing girls from the stage. She stepped in front of him, placing her hands on his chest.

Bartz abruptly stopped, a blush spreading across his face, as Lenna looked on with a frown. She peered from behind him, just in time to see him receiving a wink from the dancer.

"Follow me, honey," she said sweetly, dropping her arms from his chest down to his hands, "we've got something special."

She led him away towards a seat in front of the stage. She sat him down, then turned and looked at the other dancers before giggling. Lenna stood behind him, her frown growing deeper.

"Bartz…"

He didn't answer her as music started playing and the girl started twirling, his grey eyes fixated on her body. She moved her hips in slow circles, her arms lifting above her head and each foot was carefully placed before her. She slid her hands down the sides of her body before stepping towards Bartz on his chair.

Lenna was absolutely scandalized as the girl straddled his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. She swayed back and forth, a seductive gleam in her eyes as she moved her hands down his arms, and much to her dismay, Bartz willingly guided his hands to her waist. The dancer giggled again, obviously enjoying her job. Her body rolled in graceful waves and the smile never left her lips. Bartz was slack jawed, he too enjoying the entertainment.

"Bartz!"

He ignored his name as the girl shot her a glance. Turning her attention back to the wanderer, she gently stood and winked once again, the music coming to a stop. Bartz stayed seated, grinning at the dancer.

"Come back soon," she said, turning towards the bar as the other two dancers on the stage hopped off and joined her.

He leaned forward in his seat, his arms across his knees as he rubbed his eyes. "Wow."

Lenna shoved his shoulder, crossing her arms and glaring down at him. He looked up baffled and still red in the face.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

She drew her eyebrows together and met his eyes. Although he seemed to like the little show, she certainly didn't. She felt dirty just watching the thing take place.

He stood up awkwardly, sparing her a glance, and then looked back at the stage. He pointed to something on the side closest to the wall and walked up the steps. She followed him, her anger, while still present, slowly dissipated.

"Look, a piano," he stopped in front of it, Lenna standing beside him. She unfolded her arms and dropped her hands to the instrument.

She pushed a few keys, remembering years of boring piano lessons. She had been allowed to quit when she was ten and had never looked at a piano since then. She couldn't remember any songs, or how to read the music sheets, but she thoughtfully tinkered at the keys, producing random notes with no form. She started to wildly move her fingers, laughing at the horrendous sound it produced.

Bartz then spread his hands across the keys, tapping on a few to get the feel of it. He kept tapping until he started to get something that slightly resembled a basic song that every child was taught when learning to play music. He smiled brightly, his confidence growing as he repeated the song.

"Still got it," he joked, removing his hands from the piano.

Lenna clapped and he took a gracious bow. He looked over her shoulder towards the bar where Galuf was with two empty glasses and a third full one in front of him.

"Maybe we should get to Galuf now," he suggested, hopping off the front of the stage. "Before he ends up like some of these pirates."

Lenna opted to take the stairs instead, jogging to catch up behind Bartz as he took a seat next to Galuf.

"Bartz!" the old man exclaimed loudly. "Have a drink with me!"

Lenna took a place next to Bartz and glanced at the empty glasses. Galuf was already halfway done with the third and he was already seemingly more relaxed. She wondered what he was drinking.

"I don't know, Galuf," Bartz said, sliding the glass away from him. "Maybe we should go find Faris and head over to the inn for some rest."

The old man snatched it back, raising it to his lips. "Nonsense! You had _your_ fun," he said nodding towards the stage. "Let me have mine."

He took one long, big gulp, finishing the drink. He set it down then motioned for the bartender.

"Another!" he shouted across the bar. He looked back to his two companions, and then raised his fingers. "Two more!"

The bartender nodded, bringing over three drinks and setting them down in front of him. He passed one to Bartz and attempted to slide the other down to Lenna, but Bartz stopped the glass before it reached her.

"She can't have any," Bartz complained, bringing the drink back around to Galuf. Lenna scoffed, who was he to decide?

"And why not?" she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. Bartz frowned at her.

"This isn't something for you," he said, then lowered his voice, looking around. "You're a princess, you can't get drunk. If anyone sees you, it could ruin your image."

Lenna rolled her eyes. "No one here knows who I am. And is it really your place to tell me? You sound just like the chancellor."

It was Galuf's turn to scoff and roll his eyes. "She's not gonna get drunk off one drink," he argued, already lifting his fourth drink to his mouth.

"I just don't think it's right," Bartz insisted, looking at his own glass.

"Lenna," Galuf turned towards the princess, "how old are you?"

"Nineteen," she replied, flashing Bartz a look.

"See?" Galuf once again took a drink. "She's old enough to make her own decisions. She probably won't like it anyways."

Bartz gave the man a disappointed look but reluctantly handed Lenna the drink.

She looked at the liquid, wondering what is was. She didn't think it was beer but she couldn't count it out. A golden brown color, it was something she had seen in a liquor cabinet in the castle, but she had never tasted it herself. She had never even tried to drink anything from the liquor storage. She was never allowed to drink alcohol except for the one glass of wine at formal dinners with other royalty, but even that was practically nothing. This was the real stuff.

She carefully lifted the glass to her lips, getting a big whiff of the liquid that made her wrinkle her nose. Cautiously, she parted her mouth and then took a big swig of the drink just as she heard Bartz say: "This isn't beer."

It burned her throat as a nauseating feeling took place. It was dry and hot, it took over her senses. She coughed and spit the rest of what was left back into the glass, pushing it towards Bartz who gave her a knowing look. He took a sip of his, also grimacing but not completely bothered by it.

"It's whiskey," he said with a tight voice, drinking some more.

"Told you she wouldn't like it," Galuf murmured into his glass. "That was kinda gross, Lenna."

Spitting back into a drink _was_ gross and it was something she had learned not to do in etiquette classes. It was also just common sense. She gave a quiet "sorry" as she stood from her chair. "I think it's time we go look for Faris."

Bartz nodded in agreement and stood, Galuf reluctantly followed. They headed up the stairs to a hallway of wooden doors and dirty walls. Slanted pictures hung from the walls and several holes were scattered about them. Every room they passed was open except for one at the end of the hall. They stopped in front of the door.

"Hold on, I'll go check on him," Bartz offered.

He quietly opened the door and tiptoed inside unsure of if he was asleep or not. Lenna waited patiently outside with Galuf as she quietly listened to him shuffle his feet across the floor. If the pirate captain was asleep, did he really have to walk all the way into the room? Could he not just check from the doorway, where the other two stood? And if Faris was asleep, what kinda trouble would Bartz get in if he woke him up?

Bartz quickly came back out of the room with a weird look and blush on his face. He looked dazed and confused as he quietly placed his back against the wall.

"Bartz," Galuf asked, "what've you got that goofy look on your face for?"

He shook his head vigorously and took a deep breath. "Uh, nothing," he quickly explained. "I didn't see anything. Must've been a trick of the light."

He held a silent staring contest with the older man, testing him to question further. Galuf sighed in exasperation.

"For crying out loud, shove over and let me see!" He pushed his way through the door as Lenna looked at Bartz with a brow raised, his blush growing even deeper. He gave her a shrug.

Galuf quickly walked out, shutting the door behind him, that same funny look on his face. He turned his head towards Bartz and giving him an understanding nod. They stood in silence for a minute before talking all at once, their voices rising to be heard over one another.

"What the hell?"

"I don't know, gramps, I just don't get it."

"Great Caesar's ghost! Just gorgeous, sure haven't felt like that in a spell."

"How can this be?"

Lenna grew worried over her companions' sudden outburst. "What in the world are you two going on about?"

They didn't have time to answer as Lenna heard swearing and heavy footsteps approach. Out from behind Bartz and Galuf, the door slammed open, a confused looking Faris holding it. The men's' eyes grew wide.

"What are you two gawking at?" he demanded. "Get a hold of yourselves."

They kept staring at the captain, surprise and wonderment on their faces. Faris let out a huff and slammed the door shut once more.

"I need a little time to myself. So shove off!" he shouted from the other side.

 _How strange_ , Lenna thought, _men are very strange_.

0-0-0-0-0

"I'm not sure how to get through the canal, miss."

"Thank you anyway, sir."

Lenna walked away from the shop keeper, her spirit sinking even lower. She, Bartz, and Galuf had spent the better part of three hours asking the people of Tule for ways to get through the canal. The bartender, the innkeeper, the shopkeeper, anyone who was out on the streets, but their search kept turning up empty. They left the shop empty handed and disappointed.

"This sucks."

"Thanks for the insight, Galuf," Bartz stopped walking to lean up against a wall and crossed his arms, frowning at his feet. It really did suck.

Lenna let out a sigh, kicking the dirt. Her heart was growing heavy; how did she even end up here? Her journey was only supposed to take a day, maybe two, and she was supposed to only go to the Wind Shrine and back, not meet a wanderer, an amnesiac, and a band of pirates. And most importantly, she was supposed to find her father and take him back to Tycoon castle, but she couldn't even do that. Her trip had gone so wrong and so awry, she felt bleak and confused.

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted. The three turned to face a young man no older than fifteen.

"Can we help you, kid?" Bartz stood back up from his wall.

"I heard you inside the shop," the boy started, "I think there's someone in town who could help you."

Lenna's eyes lit up, her interest peaking at the news. She turned her full attention to him, taking a step forward.

"There's a man that lives on the edge of town," he continued. "He goes by Zok. Rumor has it has control of what goes in and out of the Torna Canal."

"Zok?" The name sounded familiar to Lenna. Could he really be the solution to their problem?

"Yes, in the big house to the north."

Bartz caught Lenna's eye, silently nodding his approval. It was worth a shot, this was their first lead after all.

"Thank you so much," Lenna rushed forward to eagerly shake the kid's hand, his eyes widening in surprise. "Let's go."

She took off at a brisk walk, heading towards the north end of town. Bartz jogged to keep up, Galuf close behind him.

"Ya know," he said trying to keep pace, "you walk pretty fast for someone so short."

She turned her head to give him a look, not breaking her stride. She was just simply eager to finally get some useful information.

"I think I know this 'Zok'," she told him. "If it is who I'm thinking, he built the Torna Canal and is a trusted royal advisor of my father. He visits the castle from time to time."

"A royal advisor too?" Bartz nearly tripped over a rock.

"Yes, though I didn't know he lived in Tule."

"How do you not know where your own advisors live?" Galuf question from several feet behind.

Lenna frowned. "He is not mine, he is my father's."

"Well if you ever become queen one day, missy," Galuf intoned. "He will be your advisor."

"Lenna, the queen of Tycoon," Bartz lamented, kicking a rock that threatened to trip him like the last. "We just found out she's a princess, don't get ahead of yourself, Galuf."

Galuf grunted. "It's bound to happen one day."

It _was_ bound to happen one day; one day she would be queen. She would be queen and she would rule the land, her adoring subjects just enamored by her existence. Or at least that's how everyone had painted it for her, a beautiful and fair queen who was loved by everyone, who could do no wrong. The truth was though, she didn't want to be queen, and she didn't want that responsibility or the pressure of people depending on her. It scared her.

"I suppose it will," she concurred.

Bartz finally found a speed to match Lenna's that didn't require him to do a half run. "Yeah, but that's a ways away, right? You don't have to worry about that yet."

Galuf muttered something under his breath in annoyance, Lenna cringed. She would if she never found the king of Tycoon.

"There," Galuf pointed towards a large house at the end of the road. Old and wooden, it looked run down, the paint chipping away from the fence. The grass was green enough but it rose two feet tall. A derelict almost.

Lenna stopped at the door, her hand hovering in front of it. She really hoped this was the right Zok, but then again how many people were named Zok?

She knocked and the door swung open by itself, creaking loudly. That wasn't a good sign.

"Go in," Galuf nudged her from behind, her foot already in the door.

It was cold in the house but she could hear a fire crackling somewhere from in the room. A beautiful ornate rug was spread across the stone floor; ethereal landscape paintings adorned the wall. Blueprints and crates were strung about the hallway, a single table in the middle of the room, a figure sitting at it.

"Zok?"

The figure lifted his head, turning in surprise at the voice. His wild white hair and big green eyes greeted the companions, a friendly smile on his face.

"Princess Lenna?"

Lenna smiled, relieved at the familiar face. "Zok! It's good to see you."

The old man stepped forward to greet her, his long green robes trailing across the floor. "Yes…it's been a long time."

"Zok, I have a favor to ask," Lenna didn't have time to waste; she had a job to do. "We must go to Walse and we need passage through the Torna Canal."

"Oh no," he muttered and shook his head. "It's much too dangerous to enter."

Lenna frowned dropping her gaze to the floor. Bartz stepped forward to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Moreover," Zok continued, "I-I seem to have lost the key to the canal…"

Lenna nearly screamed in frustration. All this for what? What kind of luck was this? She clenched her fists, grabbing fabrics of her dress to try and calm herself. Maybe this was just a bad dream.

"I'm sorry I cannot help you with the key," the old man sympathized. "But you came all this way, at least stay the night."

Lenna couldn't break her gaze from the floor, too afraid the frustration would turn to tears. Instead, Bartz spoke for her.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

"The guest room is all yours," he told them, moving back to his work at the table. "Good night!"

0-0-0-0-0

Lenna stood in a small house. It was one room, a fire crackled in the corner and a desk stood next to it, messy stacks of paper about it. There was a single bookcase with more knick knacks than books on the shelves. A long low table was opposite from her, a small pink box on top of it. A round table with four chairs took its place in the center of the room, only two of its seats occupied. A man and a woman.

The man was handsome, broad shoulder and sandy brown hair; he had a hardened face, one that had seen many battles. The woman that sat across from him was as equally as beautiful. She had exotically colored hair, like that of the sea. A gentle face with a gentle smile and kind eyes. They appeared to be in the middle of a conversation.

"The crystals must be protected at any cost," the man told her.

The woman refused to meet his gaze as she ran her fingers over the design of the table cloth.

"Stella," he reached across the table to grab her hand. "If anything should ever happen to me, never tell Bartz about the crystals. They aren't his burden to bear."

 _Bartz?_ These people knew Bartz? And they were worried about him, so they cared, but who were they?

The woman looked at Lenna, the sad look in her eyes sending a jolt up her spine. She _saw_ her. She had sparkling grey eyes, a sad smile appearing across her face.

Lenna looked down, noticing the headboard of a bed next to her. A child was fast asleep in it, his body curled up underneath the covers. The woman wasn't looking at her; she was looking at the child. He must've been their son.

The man mentioning Bartz and the woman looking at the child… could it be?

The woman stood up and moved around the table to the man while placing a delicate hand on his shoulder. "Oh, darling," she pleaded, "please don't say things like that."

The man took her hand, grasping it tightly and bringing it to his face. Lenna looked at the couple; they reminded her of her own parents once upon a time. The definition of true love, a goal she would work for in her life.

She looked back down to the sleeping child, but he was sleeping no longer, his eyes wide open. He had heard every word said; things that were meant to be kept secrets now burdened his young mind.

0-0-0-0-0

The door slammed, that's what woke Lenna up.

The room was dark, the only light coming from the shining moon outside, its soft rays dancing across the bedroom floor.

Lenna looked around noticing the now empty bed from across from her. Bartz had left the room. They hadn't bothered to go find Faris at the bar, figuring he would find a place to sleep elsewhere like he had earlier.

Galuf was in the bed closest to the door, peacefully snoring away.

Lenna sat up and rubbed her eyes. So it was a dream, she had figured that it was, but it was vivid. She felt like she was actually in the room there with the couple. And that boy…

The opened once more, Bartz returning to the room. He tiptoed, and quietly shut the door; the first slam had obviously not been him. He crept into the room then stopped halfway when he noticed Lenna staring at him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Lenna shook her head at the apology, her own voice hushed. "I was already awake."

Bartz hummed in approval, pleased that it had not been him. He stood for an awkward moment, looking at Lenna in the dark.

"Could you not sleep?" she asked, sitting up further in the bed and leaning against the headboard.

He nodded, taking a step towards his bed. "I had a lot on my mind."

"About your parents?" there had to be a connection between her dream and reality.

He stopped and cocked his head towards her. "Yeah, actually."

"Do you miss them?"

"Of course. Don't you?"

Lenna nodded. She missed her own parents so much…

Another moment of silence.

"Bartz, what are we going to do? If we can't get to Walse… what will we do?"

He took two steps towards her; she was unable to make out his features with his back to the moonlight. "Are you scared?"

"No," she admitted, "I'm worried. If we can't do it, what will happen to the crystal?"

Bartz closed the distance and sat on the edge of her bed, surprising the princess.

"We will make it," he assured her. "No matter what we have to do, we will get to Walse. I promise."

Lenna smiled, feeling somewhat reassured. He seemed so sure maybe it was true. Maybe they _could_ do it.

"Thank you, Bartz," she smiled, unsure if he could even see it. "For everything."

He stood from her bed and made his way back to his own. "Good night, Lenna."

"Good night, Bartz."


	5. Chapter 5

Once again, they were back on the ship, the dark blue waves lapping lazily against the side of it. The ship creaked and groaned in exhaustion as the great sea serpent, Syldra, diligently pulled it along, doing all the work now that there was barely a wind to even blow through Lenna's hair. Bartz and Galuf were somewhere below deck, but Faris hummed solemnly at the helm, keeping his eyes on the horizon and both hands on the wheel. He had opted to leave his pirate crew behind on the notion that the journey ahead would be a long one.

"But, Captain!" they had protested, "You know we'd follow you to the ends of the earth!"

"And I'm thankful for that," the captain had replied. "But I need you louts to stay behind and watch the hideout. We can't have just anyone barging in and taking our treasure."

The pirates looked to each other, a sad but understanding look in their eyes. "Aye, aye, Captain."

Lenna now leaned against the railing of the right side of the ship, or the star-board as Faris had corrected her, contemplating the dream she had the night before. It was strange to say the least; she felt like she had invaded someone else's thoughts or she had seen things that were not meant for her to see. The man and woman, both obviously cared deeply for each other, and the young boy, someone she suspected she knew. That someone aboard the very ship she stood on.

She continued to gaze over the edge at the small waves below. She had a sudden callback to Galuf leaning over this very railing, spitting into the depths below. She had a sudden idea.

She had never really spit before, it was not a lady-like thing to do, but nonetheless she gathered all the saliva in her mouth that she could and parted her lips to spit as far as possible. It fell to the ocean, a piece of her now a part of it, part of the never ending sea. She felt so small in the world now that she had seen a portion of it. It was much bigger than anything she could've ever imagined, and she was now part of a mission she could've never even dreamed of. A child, that's what she was. A small and lonely and lost little child that had no business outside of her home.

She heard footsteps behind her and she hastily wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. She stood up from the rail but kept her grip firmly around it. She held her breath, waiting for the other person to speak.

"Lenna," It was Bartz; he kept his voice down so Faris would not hear their conversation. "What's wrong?"

She kept quiet for a minute trying to decide if she should tell him what she had been thinking. Maybe he would laugh at her and her stupid ignorance, or perhaps he would pity her and treat her like the child she was.

"The wind crystal has shattered," she said instead, deciding to address the issue at hand. She tore her hands from the railing and turned to face him. The sun was starting to set; it painted his face a light rose color.

"Right now, the only difference is that the wind has slowed," she gripped the sides of her dress tightly. "But soon it will stop blowing completely. And in a few years, the air will grow stagnant, and the birds won't have any place to fly."

Her head turned down to address her feet, her hair coming undone to hang in her face. It was all hopeless if they did not protect the other crystals. They had to; she could not disappoint her father because his words to her might've been his last. The thought brought tears to her eyes.

She heard the floorboards creak and she spotted a familiar pair of boot in front of her.

"Father said we have to protect the three remaining crystals." She looked up in time to see Bartz extending his hand, but she ignored it and walked to the front of the ship, placing her hands behind her.

Ignoring her ignoring him, he stepped up beside her, looking to the west at the setting sun. "If the others were lost too, then…" He was fishing for some answers.

"At first, nothing would happen," she began, "but it wouldn't be very long before the earth began to decay. The seas dirtied and rivers ceased to flow, fires lost their heat and the world became dark and cold."

Bartz hummed his acknowledgement, taking in the depressing information.

"It really would become an unlivable world…"

She saw him step towards her once again, but she heard heavy footsteps approaching from behind. Their conversation had not been as quiet as they had thought.

Galuf stomped up to them, raising a fist into the air. "We've gotta protect the crystals!"

"Did that trigger any of your memories, old man?" Bartz raised a brow, amusement on his face.

Galuf thought for a moment, scratching his head. "Nope, but it doesn't matter. I'm still gonna help."

"Well said, old man," Faris called, stepping away from the wheel and walking the length of the ship to meet them. "I'm coming along too."

He crossed his arms across his chest as he stopped in front of the three. "Plus, we still have to find Lenna's father."

"King Tycoon?" Bartz asked, "But he disappeared into thin air."

Faris punched Bartz in the arm, giving him a scalding look. "He still lives; I feel it in my bones. Never for a minute think otherwise."

Lenna gave him an appreciative smile but turned her attention to the wanderer. "Bartz…Will you come with us?"

He frowned at the captain and rubbed his upper arm where he had been hit. A flicker of something that Lenna couldn't read crossed his face. "Before, I was just coming along for the ride," he told them, "but now seeing everyone here…"

He dug into the pocket of his pants, pulling out the familiar little pieces of glass.

"The crystal shards," Lenna noted. It was what tied them together now; they were one team brought together by broken pieces.

"We were given power to protect the world," he continued, "The power of the wind crystal…"

He stared at the shards in his hands a moment longer, then gently pushed them back into his pocket.

"That's it, I'm in. We've got some crystals to save."

Lenna flashed him a big smile, thankful for his help but also curious as to why he _really_ was coming with them.

"To the canal then," Faris announced as he walked back to the helm.

Galuf hopped up on the front mast of the ship, raising Lenna's heartrate at the sudden fear of the old man falling. "To the canal!"

0-0-0-0-0

"Bartz! Please be careful!"

Lenna stared in horror as Bartz gracefully stepped onto the mast as Galuf had done the day before. He swayed back and forth with his arms out to his sides while trying to find his balance, something shone in his hand in the early morning sunlight.

They were docked in front of the gates of the canal, the big wooden doors locked before them. Bartz had asked their pirate captain that he get the point of the ship as close as he could to the doors for he had an idea of how to get through.

Now he stood at the narrow end where there was barely enough room to have one foot in front of the other. He squatted and leaned forward placing one hand on the door and the other fiddled with whatever was in his grasp. With a grunt he stood and pushed hard on the larger than life doors.

He teetered his way back across the pole, his arms spread once again to make him look like a desperate bird. He safely landed back on the deck and Lenna rushed forward to check on him.

Galuf stood beside him. "Bartz, where in tarnation did you get that key?"

"Does it matter?" he shrugged while throwing a quick look at Lenna. "Let's get going."

Faris took that as his queue to signal Syldra to pull the ship through the doors. It was slow going as Faris did not want to damage his ship in the narrow passage.

"He was just worried about you," Lenna heard in her ear. She turned to her left, suddenly face-to-face with Bartz.

"Who?" She felt the heat involuntarily rising to her face.

Before he could answer, Galuf shouted from behind him. "Can we go any faster, Captain?"

"It's my ship, old man," Faris yelled back. "If you don't like it, you can get off."

"We're not docked though."

The captain let out a wicked laugh, eliciting a giggle from Lenna and Bartz too.

It was slow going through the canal, but finally they had made it to more open waters.

Lenna and Bartz were once again hanging leisurely over the railing on the port side of the ship in companionable silence. The waves on this side of the canal were of a much brighter hue of blue, the water looked almost cleaner and clearer.

"I wonder how much longer," Bartz said, drawing out his words.

"I wouldn't ask the captain, he doesn't seem to be very good at estimating arrival times," Lenna mused.

"Mmm," was the only reply Bartz gave. His limbs dangled loosely over the side, a blank look in his eyes.

"Walse should be straight ahead from here," Galuf appeared to the right of Lenna; he stared down into the waves, a suspicious look on his face. Maybe he would spit again.

The three fell silent, the sound of the waves filling it for them. They rocked with the ship, the occasional monster breaking the surface to determine if they were worth the trouble. Lenna saw octopus-like creatures and oversized fish and something that reminded her of those damned devil crabs.

She also noticed that the noise of the waves was suddenly not as prominent as before; instead there was a constant roar now, still definitely water. She stood up straight, straining her ears.

"Lenna?"

"Do you hear that?"

The other two also stood straight, both turning their ears towards the sea. The roaring water was louder now.

Then the boat began to shake viciously, throwing Lenna and the others to the deck.

"Faris! What's going on?"

Lenna tried pushing herself from the deck, but could not find her balance as she looked towards the helm. The captain was struggling himself, trying to keep his grip on the wheel and the ship going forward.

"Thundering typhoons! The rudders not responding!" the captain cried, his voice sounding a bit higher in the panic.

Bartz pushed himself from the floorboards and stumbled like a drunken sailor to the front of the ship. Lenna tried the same, but was quickly pushed back down.

"It's a whirlpool!" he shouted, the noise now deafening and a hard mist now soaking the ship.

Galuf picked himself back up and staggered his way back over to the captain. "You better figure something out fast, cause we're about to be sucked in-"

He was interrupted as the ships nose started to dip wildly. Everything became a blur as Lenna felt the whole world start to spin; it was too late, they were already in the middle of it.

Lenna felt helpless as Bartz scrambled away from the stern and ran for the captain and Galuf, grabbing Lenna's arm and practically dragging her with him.

She wanted to cry, she was scared to die if this was her end. She would never make it to the water crystal if she was dead and she would never fulfil her father's wish.

There was a sudden unearthly screech from the front of the ship. The ship was now dangerously tipping forward, the view made Lenna sick, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut. She clutched onto Bartz who still had a hold on her arm and a grip on the stair railing to the helm. Her feet started to slide forward as the ship was pulled in even further.

The screech came again and Lenna opened her eyes to see the head of Syldra surface from the water. The captain, still hanging onto the wheel and trying to get it to budge, turned his attention to the beloved creature.

"Syldra!" he shouted, though Lenna wasn't sure the serpent had heard him. "What's wrong?"

"Look alive, something coming!" Bartz warned, nodding to the middle of the whirlpool.

Lenna felt all the hope she had left practically leave her body. Up over the front of the ship came the most grotesque creature she had seen yet. A massive crustacean, its body an ugly blood orange, two claws snapped hungrily at the crew. Its tail reached up and over its head, another set of pinchers on the end of it.

"What is that?" she cried, grabbing even tighter onto Bartz.

"A Karlabos?" she heard Faris say.

"What do we do?" Galuf shouted over the roar. Lenna risked a look up to see him holding on for dear life to the bottom of the wheel.

She heard Bartz take in a shaky breath before he spoke. "We gotta get rid of it!"

"But how?" Lenna wasn't sure they could even do it at this angle, and even so, how could they take on such a monster like that?

Bartz's eyes met hers, a determined glint in them. "We have the power of the crystal," he told her, "we can do this!"

Lenna nodded, waiting for his move.

"Just don't fall off the ship!" he shouted. As if any of them needed to be told that.

None of them were really sure how to call on the spirits of the crystal, but Bartz had figured it out quickly enough. He guided Lenna's hands to the railing he held, then let go of her to pick a crystal shard out of his pocket. He stared at it then held it up, closing his eyes.

"Great knight, Agro! I call upon you!"

Nothing happened for a good moment and Lenna became worried until there was a loud _pop!_ and a bright green glow. A thick fog enveloped Bartz and it quickly fell away to reveal a new man.

Bartz was now every bit the image of a true warrior. He donned new armor that resembled the pieces the knight Agro had worn before. His broadsword was attached to his hip; a bright shiny chest plate adorned his chest. _This is what the knights in fairytales look like_ , Lenna mused, and the thought gave her hope.

"Chantla!" she heard from behind her. "I call upon you!"

Lenna turned to the popping behind her and the same glow and fog from before came from Galuf. He now wore the dark blue robes and big round hat of the black mage. If not for the current situation, Lenna might've laughed at his getup.

The Karlabos scuttled it way up the incline of the ship and once it got close enough, the two sprang into action. Bartz let go of the railing next to Lenna and she nearly let go herself to try and catch him. He let himself slide towards the monster, his sword at the ready. The Karlabos hissed and snapped at him, his prey was coming straight to him!

Bartz swung his sword for the claw on the monster, earning him a cry of protest. He quickly stuck his sword into the wooden floorboard to stop himself from going any further, then reached for the nearest wooden post.

Lenna heard a weird chanting, a language she had never heard before. She looked up to see Galuf moving his lips, but the voice was not his own.

He held his hands in front of his chest, his index and middle finger and both thumbs connecting to make a triangle. His eyes were closed but when he opened them, they were not his. They glowed and thrummed with an energy Lenna could feel from where she was. It sent a jolt up her spine; what were the crystals doing to them?

Galuf pushed his hands away from his body in a fast motion; a thunderbolt from the sky released its energy unto the Karlabos at the same time.

The creature hissed as the electric energy made contact with its wet shell, buying Bartz enough time to make his way back to the railing. He once again released himself, sliding back down the ship to strike once again.

This time though, he failed to stick his sword into the deck, and slid straight into the territory of the Karlabos. It snapped at his leg, grabbing it, and Lenna heard the sickening crunch of flesh and bones over the roar of the whirlpool.

He cried out in pain but quickly pulled himself out of the grasp, using his sword to try and make it back to safety.

Galuf started chanting behind her again, the same gestures and the same words flowing from his body. Another lightning bolt hit the target, this one stronger than before.

Lenna looked back to Bartz who was slowly making his way up to the post. He was leaving behind a blood trail and the creature was close behind, trying to capture his escaped meal.

Lenna's mind raced, she had to help him before it was too late. But how could she? She was certainly no fighter, what else could she do?

An idea sprang forth from her mind, and she tightened her grip on the railing.

"Deidre," her voice shook with fear, "I call upon you!"

It was a very strange feeling to say the least. The popping was even louder than before like it was in her ears, and she felt giddy and light and anxious all at once as the light caressed her.

 _No time to waste_ , a voice said in her mind.

Lenna audibly gasped. So the warriors spoke to them while they used them? Did they plan their every move?

 _Heal him_ , the white mage from within told her. Lenna looked down the length of the ship just as another bolt hit the Karlabos. Her eyes scanned for Bartz, catching him hanging onto the wooden post in the middle of the ship, a pained look on his face.

She faltered, wondering if she would be able to do it, but her doubts were soon quelled when Bartz's eyes met hers with a pleading look _. She had to._

Lenna wrapped her leg around the post of the railing then brought her hands to her chest like she had seen Galuf do, and before she knew it, the words to the incantation poured out of her. Her own voice seemingly different, more precise and calculated. She felt a heat rise to the tips of her fingers, a tingling sensation present. They started to grow unbearably hot and when she could not take it any longer, she thrust her hands forwards towards Bartz, praying that it would work.

A soft glow covered him, the light sprinkling him like dust. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment and his chin dipped for his chest; Lenna felt nauseous. Had it not worked?

But her worries were doused as he lifted his head and pulled himself up against the post, regaining his composure.

There was more chanting from Galuf, this time quicker and more precise, and the biggest bolt Lenna had seen struck the Karlabos. It screeched in pain, losing its footing. It started to slide backwards, unable to keep a grip on the drenched wood. It slid and slid until it hit the stern railing, it finally falling off the edge and back into the whirlpool.

There was even more violent shaking and Lenna's foot slipped from its hold on the railing. She hit her tailbone then her back and her head as she too started to slide down the length of the ship. The wood was wet but rough and she was flying down the floorboards at high speeds.

She screamed as she tried digging her nails into the wood but it only earned her splinters and the loss of a nail. Surely this could not be the end of her, not so soon.

But it would not be the end of her as she soon felt a hand and the sudden stop of her sliding. The force of which she was grabbed then stopped nearly ripped her arm out of her socket. She looked up, it was Bartz! He held a concerned but relieved look on his face as he held onto the hilt of his sword which was, once again, in the floorboards.

The ship groaned intensely and Lenna started to feel her whole world dipping once again. The back was falling back down to the water. The whole ship lurched dangerously backwards, until it fell, causing a humungous splash to drench the party and the deck. Lenna felt herself lift upwards then hit the deck with full force. She groaned in pain.

The ship was moving once again, but this time it was forward and flat and away from the whirlpool. Lenna rubbed her head then turned it towards Bartz. He still held onto her, afraid she was going to fall away.

"Are you okay?" she asked, a bit out of breath.

"Are you?" he returned. His chest was heaving, his hands were bloodied.

She nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Nice outfit," he told her, pointing to her body.

She looked down and was surprised to see that the white mage's robes were now on her. They were beautiful and intricate, yet simple and elegant. Red triangles donned the edges of the sleeves and hood, the rest was a delicate white. The inside was soft and fuzzy, a gentle and comforting feeling.

There was a familiar roar again, a pained one, and Lenna turned her attention back to the stern.

"Syldra!" Faris cried, running from the wheel to the front. He slipped on the deck, landing on his behind but he quickly got back up, his boots sloshing.

Lenna and Bartz stood, Galuf joining them and the captain. Syldra was shaking herself free of her harness, swimming headfirst back into the whirlpool.

"I'm sure he's okay," Bartz reassured the captain, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself. "She's a fighter and you know it."

Faris jumped onto the mast as Bartz and Galuf had before. "Syldra!" he cried again. The serpent was now shrieking wildly, it was painful to hear as she disappeared beneath the waves.

Galuf and Bartz rushed forward, each grabbing an arm on the captain. They pulled him back off but he thrashed about, knocking Bartz in the face.

"Let me go!" his voice was trill, he shook violently. "I said get off! Syldra!"

The whirlpool was gone, no more roaring waters and no more searing mist, only the sound of the small waves. The captain fell to his knees, the two men still holding his arms. He cried out for his beloved friend, who was now forever lost to the sea.

Lenna could've swore that she heard the man sniffling as he stood and threw the other two off him. He stomped off, probably to retreat to his captain's quarters below deck, leaving the rest to wander about.

Galuf turned towards the helm, an understanding look in his eyes. "I'm gonna clean up the deck a bit. We've made quite a mess."

Lenna nodded, watching the old man walk off, picking up a bucket on the way. He was drenched from head to toe, they all were, and he still wore the mage's robes. He threw the hat to the ground so he could see better as he went about.

Bartz suddenly grabbed her wrists and held her hands up to her face to see. They were bloodied and splintered and very, very dirty. Her eyes widened in shock, she had never seen herself in such disrepair.

"Maybe you should do something about this?" he teased, dropping her hands.

She started to pick out the splinters from her hands. "Maybe you should do something about yours," she quipped, nodding to his.

He looked down in surprise, his hands were much worse than hers.

She grabbed them and quickly pulled out the bigger splinters first. They were caked in dried blood and his finger nails were worn raw, the tips of his extremities red and tender. He winced as she worked, curling his fingers in to try and stop her. She gave him a warning glare.

"Look at you, a natural healer."

"How's your leg," she asked, keeping her eyes focused on his hands. They were bigger than hers and much stronger, little callous were starting to form on his palm, and there were many lines stretching the length of them.

He grinned. "Much better, thanks to you."

Lenna blushed, her own small grin forming on her face. It was practically nothing; it was in fact not even her own skill. It was the work of Deidre, she provided the words and Lenna simply spoke them. It was like a performance; the spirit was the composer and Lenna was just given the sheet music to play off of.

All that was left was tiny cuts that would easily heal on their own, but Lenna had a different idea.

"Watch this," she told him, and held her hands in the triangular shape as before. She chanted the foreign language, quick and clean. Instead of pushing the symbol out towards Bartz, the crystal told her to push it up towards the open sky.

The glow came back, covering both of them, and Bartz stared in wonder as the tiny cuts closed quickly and efficiently, no scars and no scabs, it was like it never even happened.

Lenna eyes met Bartz, a look of wonderment and shock on his face. His mouth was slightly open, his eyebrows were raised.

Then he laughed, a light and quick one, but it made Lenna laugh too. It made her feel better in a weird way. He grabbed her wrist once again and held it up to his face this time, looking for any sign of the damage.

"I guess you can just wash the blood off later, but the wounds are completely healed," Lenna said, giggling once again as he looked over her hand.

"Thank you," he smiled, releasing her wrist.

"You two!" Galuf shouted from the other side of the ship. "I could use some help cleaning this up!"

Bartz sighed. "Better help the old man."

"It's the least we could do for Faris," Lenna told him, making her way towards Galuf.

 _The least we could do for a heartbroken man._

0-0-0-0-0

The pirate captain stood by himself at the wheel, a stern and stony look on his face; one of sadness and sorrow, he had finally come out from below deck. Lenna stood next to him, allowing a silence to fill the space. She looked across the ship to where Bartz and Galuf stood; they were having a private conversation, a very serious look on Bartz face.

"The ship is moving by itself," Faris spoke up, "we're at the mercy of the currents."

An open sea with no wind to guide them. How awful.

"Where do you think we'll end up?" Lenna asked, apprehension in her voice.

"There's no telling, we're at the mercy of the sea," he repeated, keeping his gaze straight ahead of them and his hands on the wheel.

Lenna cleared her throat, afraid of offending him. "If there is no way to control the ship, why do you still stand here?"

"What else am I to do?"

"You can't stay here forever. If we are lost at sea, and we don't know how long we'll be on the ship, you will need to rest eventually."

"This is where I'll stay."

"Faris, Syldra is-" Lenna was nervous, she was afraid he would lash out at her, "Surely Syldra is still out there, alive, somewhere."

Faris set his jaw and kept his eyes on the horizon. He didn't speak, he didn't move, he just stood there in agonizing silence. He was in pain, a silent suffering pain, and all he could do was just stand there.

"I'm sorry," Lenna told him, barely able to make her voice above a whisper. She left him there to join the other two men. She had royally screwed up again. She realized that it was much harder to make conversation outside of the castle where people had real feelings and talked of things other than politics and manners.

The two men grew quiet as she joined them, their conversation ended by her arrival. They eyed her, trying to pick her mood.

"How's the captain?" Galuf asked, turning to rest his elbows on the railing.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. He was distant and off put.

"He'll be fine," Bartz assured her. "I'm sure of it."

Another strong silence that Lenna was getting too familiar with fell upon. They stood there watching the waves, the ship barely rocked. It was already night, late in fact, and the moon was high and full, its light dusting the ship and its occupants. It was beautiful, Lenna decided, and it was familiar. The only familiar thing in the current moment; it was the same moon she saw from her bedroom window in Tycoon. It was the same moon all of them had seen; it was familiar to all of them. It belonged to them and everyone else in the world. A shining beacon that sailors and a guiding light for wanderers.

Lenna noticed they were all staring up at it, all save the captain, and she wondered if they all felt the same way.

"Everything feels hopeless," she lamented. The comment earned her a look from both of them.

"We're lost at sea," she continued, focusing on the waves. "Faris has suffered a lost, we have no supplies. What will we do?"

The other two stayed quiet for a moment and then Bartz spoke.

"It's not hopeless," he stated flatly.

Lenna looked at him, confused. How could he be so sure?

"We thought it was hopeless when we couldn't get through the canal, and we thought it was hopeless when we got stuck in that whirlpool, and we thought it was hopeless when that thing climbed aboard the ship," he tapped his fingers against the railing. "But we beat the odds, on all those things."

"This isn't hopeless," he told her, "this is just a bump in the road."

He pushed himself away from the edge and made his way for the stairs. "I'm gonna get some sleep."

Galuf chuckled, giving Lenna a sympathetic look. "He's pretty inspiring."

Lenna sighed, feeling small and ignorant. He was right, if they had done the impossible before, surely they could do it again.

Galuf clapped her on the shoulder, his blow nearly knocking her over.

"Maybe you should get some rest, too."

Lenna looked to the helm where it seemed the captain hadn't moved a muscle. "What about Faris?"

Galuf turned his head too, another sympathetic look. "I'll keep an eye on him. He'll be fine."

Lenna nodded reluctantly and headed below deck to the crew's quarters. She quietly opened the door to see Bartz inside, his back to her. In a weird way, she felt bad like she had done something to offend him. Maybe he didn't like having to constantly reassure someone that everything would be okay. Maybe he didn't like that she was so unsure of herself. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

She settled down into the bed closest to the door, bringing the covers up to her chin. She was incredibly homesick, she longed for Castle Tycoon and she longed for her own bed and she longed for the chancellor and her handmaiden and her wind drake. Most of all she longed for her father, his comforting words.

She wished she was able to see the moon from where she lay, to see the beautiful diamond that covered them all. Maybe her father was out there, somewhere, looking at the very same moon, longing for his daughter to return to safety. Maybe, just maybe.

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AN: This chapter is the longest one yet and it still feels short to me! Next chapter is pretty exciting if you know what's coming next ;) Thank you for reading and reviewing.


	6. Chapter 6

Lashes against skin, light and fluttery, Lenna opened her eyes to a familiar but strange sight.

She was back home, in her bedchamber. The curtains were open, allowing the morning light to settle in on the floor and furniture, a rosy orange hue. The mountains were dark in facing her, their snow covered peaks the only light thing about them. From her room she could hear the moving about of the castle servants already starting their daily routine.

Lenna rose from her bed, her toes touching the cold floor. She stretched her arms above her head letting out a yawn as she proceeded to her dresser. There was the wash cup, and her silver plated hair brush, her musical jewelry box with a tiara on top, and a dragon nail that she had found at the top of the tower when she was younger. She touched each thing, unsure if they were real or not and whether she was really home in Tycoon Castle.

A quick knock, two raps, came from her door. She hurried over to answer it, the door knob freezing under her touch.

"My Lady!" it was her lady in waiting, pushing her way into the room with a pitcher of water.

Lenna closed the door and watched as she hurried over to fill the wash cup, laying a fresh piece of cloth next to it.

"My Lady, His Majesty and Lady Sarisa are waiting for you in the dining hall. Get dressed and arrive shortly please," she said as she pulled out a simple blue dress from the dresser before laying it out on the bed.

"Good day, My Lady," she left as quickly as she had come, leaving Lenna to wonder if she had even been in the room.

Lenna walked over to the wash cup and carefully lifted up the cloth, it seemed real enough and when she dipped it into the water it was certainly cold enough that it had to be real. She washed her face but instead of feeling refreshed like she normally did, she felt strange and uncomfortable and very, very cold.

She stared at the dress the handmaiden had laid out for her; she had never seen it before and she was certain she didn't own any blue dresses. She looked down at herself; she was still in the simple white night dress. It was thin and only further drilled the idea that it was cold into her mind. So, so cold.

She opted to leave the dress on her bed, it made her uneasy, and she quietly slipped out of her room into the hall. There were two guards at both ends, spears in their hands. She never understood why the guards in the castle needed weapons, someone could get hurt or something could get knocked over. It confused her.

She wandered aimlessly down the halls, the rugs stretching their length and scratching the bottom of her bare feet. Long tables and ornate vases, large tapestries decorated the walls. She didn't remember having so many doors on this floor.

She made her way down the stairs and through a large set of wooden doors into the big dining room. The table was long enough for twenty people on each side and one person at each end. At the far end of the room was her father, a plate of food already in front of him. He looked up from his plate and smiled, then with his hand he beckoned her over.

"Lenna, my dear," he put down his fork to cross his hands in front of him. "Come, sit across from your sister."

 _My sister_ , Lenna thought, _my sister?_

She looked at the first seat next to her father, a tall girl with beautiful curly blonde hair sat there with her face turned to the king, her chin in her hands. She gave her rapt attention to her father not even sparing Lenna a glance.

Lenna cautiously made her way around the long table, not taking her eyes off the girl who had yet to look at her.

"Lenna, why aren't you dressed?" her father asked, picking up his fork once again.

Lenna kept her gaze on the girl who seemed completely enamored by the king. "I didn't feel like it," she told him.

"Lenna, you know better than that," he chided, then turned towards the girl. "Sarisa does what's asked of her."

The girl, Sarisa, nodded her head and Lenna had the feeling that she was often compared to this unfamiliar girl. Something about the back of Sarisa's head seemed familiar to her, the tight curls bounced with the movement of her hair.

"I'm sorry, Father," she told him, placing her hands on the back of the tall wooden chair. She searched the girl for any sign of movement but she stayed the same; she was like a statue.

But as she pulled the chair away from the table, the girl broke her spell, turning abruptly to face Lenna.

And Lenna nearly screamed when she saw her face, or the lack thereof. It was blank, well almost blank. It was like a thousand faces flashing across one, one second her eyes were round and blue, the next they were narrow and brown. Lenna stepped back until she reached the wall, the bricks cold against her back.

"Lenna," Sarisa cooed, "what's wrong?"

"Stop being silly and come sit down," her father commanded.

Lenna felt like all of the heat had left her body. She didn't have a sister, not anymore, not since the mishap at sea. This was _not_ her sister, not the true Sarisa.

Sarisa pushed her chair away from the table and stood up, making her way around the table to meet Lenna. She stopped right in front of her, inches from her face. She smelled like dead seaweed and dry roses and Lenna pushed her head back as far as she could from her.

"You're disappointing Father," she scolded, her voice now deeper and more menacing. "Why do you always disappoint Father?"

"Get away from me!" Lenna cried, and shoved the girl's shoulders away from her. She ran from the room back down the hall. Her feet pounded against the stone floor creating a sickly sweet sound.

"Lenna!" she heard Sarisa sing. "Why do you do this?"

Lenna felt like she was moving in molasses, her feet heavy like lead, her arms tied down with cinderblocks. She wasn't moving anywhere; she was stuck in the hall. She felt tears coming to her eyes, she could not escape.

"Lenna!" she heard again, this time the voice was close. She turned her head over her shoulder but no one was there. An empty hall with a big window at the end and early morning light pouring through, that was all there was.

She took a few breaths in an effort to calm herself but the strange chill made its way down the hall. "Stop disappointing Father!"

She snapped her head back in front of her, the ghost of her sister as she had known her now there. She was small, only five years of age, and she looked just as she had remembered her. Dirty blonde hair tied into two pigtails and a small pink dress with ink stains on it. She smiled a big toothy smile and held her arms open for a hug.

"Lenna, I missed you," she wrapped her arms around Lenna's legs. "Where have you been?"

Lenna wanted to pry the child off of her but she could not, this was her long lost sister. She missed her dearly but Lenna suddenly felt saddened by the fact that she rarely ever thought of her. She herself had been so young when she had disappeared that there wasn't really much to remember.

"Did you miss me, too?" the girl pulled her face away from her legs, and Lenna felt her heart stop upon looking at it.

The little girl had a gash across the entire length of her forehead, blood spilling out of it down her face and into her eyes and mouth. She wore a frown now and she sniffled with every breath. Lenna wondered how she could see with the blood in her eyes.

"You all left me to die!" the girl suddenly screamed. "You never came looking, Lenna!"

Lenna was only four when she went missing, what could she do? Her father had sent out a search party and they had spent endless time searching the coast and the sea, returning _days_ later to report their findings.

"How could you, Lenna?"

The girl stepped back from her, a look of disdain accompanying her. "How could you?" she repeated, louder than before.

Lenna awoke with a gasp, sweating beading her face. She felt unbearably cold yet hot all the same. It was all a dream but yet it had all felt too real.

She looked around the tiny cabin of the crew's quarters noting that Faris and Galuf were both in their beds, fast asleep. The old man must've convinced him to step away from the wheel for at least a little while. But Lenna wondered why the captain had opted to stay in here rather than his own personal room.

Lenna swung her feet out of bed and carefully pulled her boots onto her feet. Quietly, she got up and left the room, making her way up to the deck.

She wandered around, walking from rail to rail, to the front and then to the back, all failing to free her mind. She tried to make sense of her weird dream, but she couldn't. She just couldn't grasp what it meant, if it had meant anything at all.

The air was warm and the stars were out, not a cloud in the night sky. Lenna looked around at the horizons and frowned when she couldn't see anything. She was hoping being lost at sea was a dream too, but the waves were practically nonexistent and there was barely any rocking of the boat.

She made her way to the middle of the deck and pushed her back against the center mast. She breathed deeply, in and out, but could not seem to steady her fast beating heart. She wiped her face with the palms of her hands felling disgusted by the grime and sweat it was covered in.

 _You're disappointing Father_ , a voice called from within her mind.

The thought weighed heavy on her; it was one that often crossed it. It was one of her worst fears although her father constantly reminded her she could never disappoint him. She did everything in her power to make sure it never happened, she always showed up on time, she always dressed appropriately for the occasion, she always minded her manners. But the fear was always there, she could not rid herself of it.

 _Why do you always disappoint Father?_ The voice called again.

She slid down the mast, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms across them. That girl in her dream at the table was not her sister, could not be her sister. Her sister was dead, lost to the vicious deep blue sea. Often times, Lenna had doubts on whether or not the call that she was dead had been a mistake; surely she could still be out there somewhere. They could cross paths once again but maybe Sarisa wouldn't recognize her; she was 15 years older now and much different looking. And it was possible her sister wouldn't even remember her, they were both so young when they last saw each other.

Lenna then thought of how she had the suspicion that she had become a replacement for her sister in her father's heart. Sarisa had always been closer to Father than Lenna in her short five years. They did everything together while Lenna was asked to stay home with her mother. And then after Sarisa went missing- _died_ \- she was never allowed out of the boundaries of Castle Tycoon for fear that the same fate would befall her. She was the only living heir to the throne after all.

Boot steps came up the stairs from behind her and Lenna stiffened. The floorboards creaked underneath the person's feet and she could tell they were getting closer.

Suddenly a head appeared around the mast and a voice next to her ear. "Hey."

Lenna jumped a little in surprise then looked up to see Bartz. He was smiling, but it soon disappeared as he noticed something was off.

"Lenna, what's wrong?" It was the second time he had to ask her that in the past few days.

"What? Nothing is wrong," she told him. How was he able to tell?

He sat next to her, loosely placing his arms around his legs. "Something's wrong, you're crying."

Lenna raised a hand to her cheek and quickly wiped at her eyes; she hadn't even realized that she was crying and was confused. There was nothing to be crying about, she scolded herself.

She looked away, embarrassed, and laid her head on her knees. "I'm- it was just a bad dream, nothing more."

She could hear him shift closer and she shut her eyes, wishing he would leave but hoping that he would stay. She had been feeling very confused and anxious lately and conversations with Bartz only seemed to make the feelings worse.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked. She shook her head; she would keep this to herself.

The waves made little noise to fill the silence. Lenna focused on the sounds of their breathing, his was even and soft hers was slow and steady now. Their breathing was out of sync; while he breathed in she blew out, and she was content with that.

After several moments, Bartz spoke up. "I'm worried, too."

She lifted her head to look at him but his eyes were placed ahead of him. She opened her mouth to speak but he was quicker.

"You're not gonna give up are you?" His eyes met hers, startling grey and bright in the dark.

Lenna thought for a moment, searching his face for the answer. Was she going to give up?

"No," she said resolutely, "if you won't, then I won't."

She nodded her head for extra effect and he smiled, looking somewhat relieved.

"Then we're in this together. We've got each other's back."

She smiled back and rested her head against the mast. "Of course."

He then turned his gaze down to her body, and Lenna followed it, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

"You still got those robes on," he pointed out, stretching his legs to lie out in front of him.

She was indeed still wearing the white mage's robes; they were comfortable enough over regular clothes that she hadn't even noticed. She wasn't exactly sure how to get rid of them though. Did she call upon the crystal when she was done with its power? Or did she simply just take off the clothes given to her by the spirit and save them for when she needed it?

Lenna looked at Bartz and noticed that he had a lack of the shiny red knight armor. He was back in his grey trousers and dull green boots that must've been extremely bright at some point, and of course his big blue tunic with the dress shirt underneath. She sighed, for no reason at all, and looked back at her own robes.

"What's it like?" he asked her, and when she gave him a confused look he added: "To cast magic."

"You could try it yourself," she teased, giving him a weak smile. "But… I'm not sure how to explain it. White magic, at least, feels warm…and gentle almost. But it burns your fingers, like there is a flame trying to escape your being."

She opened and closed her mouth, trying to think of the right words. It burned, but only her fingers and it seemed like all of her blood was being pulled forward to the tips. After the spell was spoken and the magic was released, her fingers were left feeling tingly and numb. It left her with a high, almost dizzy feeling after the first spell had been completed, but it had also left her with a want for more.

"Hot, it's really hot," she settled for.

He kept his eyes on her and she continued. "The crystal provided the invocations I needed to complete the spell."

"So you've never cast magic before today?"

"Well when I was younger, I was set to start magic training but then my- "she stopped herself short _. But then my sister disappeared and I no longer had the privilege to._

"No," she said in short, then changing the subject she asked, "What does it feel like to have magic cast on you?"

Although she had also cast it on herself, she wanted to know how it felt to someone else.

"Soft and comforting," he grinned, seemingly lost in thought. "Like a mother's hug. Though I'm sure it would feel much different to have black magic cast on me."

Lenna grinned herself. "I'm sure you can ask that Karlabos all about how good it feels to be struck by lightning."

"Or I could just ask Galuf to zap me," he grinned back. "I'm sure he'd be happy to."

Lenna giggled, a weight being lifted off her shoulders. A weight she hadn't even realized she was carrying.

"Galuf wouldn't do that, he's much too kind."

Bartz snorted and placed his hands across his abdomen, turning his gaze to the side. "Please, give it some time and I'm sure he'll be itching to hit me. It's bound to happen."

He paused then looked once again at the princess, raising an eyebrow and giving her a mischievous smirk. His voice dropped to a husky tone. "But you'll heal me, right?"

The change of the tone of his voice pulled something in her; her eyes grew wide at the unexpectedness of it and it left her feeling funny. What was this feeling?

Lenna turned to hide her blush but quickly placed a finger to her cheek as if she were thinking.

"I don't know…" she lamented, humor finding its way into her voice. "I'd have to think about it."

He shoved her shoulder and let out a small laugh. She liked the sound, it was light and joyful.

"I suppose I would have to, wouldn't I?" she joked, also pushing her legs to lie out in front of her. She studied them. They were covered in dirt and her stockings were ripped and torn. She felt gross and completely out of place; she was in need of a bath.

"Whenever I'm traveling places," Bartz said suddenly, "I like to talk to as many people as I can."

Lenna gave him a funny look. _What was he talking about?_

"Sometimes, there are people who I regret talking to. They're rude or annoying or they just rub me the wrong way."

She opened her mouth to ask her question but he didn't seem to notice and continued talking.

"But most of the time, I meet people who are kind and caring. They're people who I'll never forget; they've left their mark on me." He turned then, to face Lenna, no teasing tone or joking matter. "I'm glad I met you."

Lenna wanted to ask why he was talking about this, why he would tell her such things but she really didn't care. She liked listening to him talk and the compliment had nearly flown overhead, she had to take a second to process it.

She raised her eyebrows, surprise at what he said. "I'm sure you say that to all the girls you travel with."

There was no venom in her voice yet she wasn't sure what made her say it. She didn't know if he had traveled with anyone other than his chocobo before, let alone other girls. She suddenly felt confused. Why did she say that?

He stared at her for a moment more then laughed, once again short and sweet. "Only the pretty ones," he told her.

She relaxed, thankful that he had not taken it the wrong way. Bartz was the type of man to either brush things off or let them fly completely over his head. In a way, he was oblivious.

The princess smiled and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the mast. She listened once again, this time to the rocking of the boat, the creaking and groaning of the wooden planks. She wondered how old the ship was and how old _Faris_ was and when he had taken command of the ship. Had he always been a pirate, or did he just find his way here one day and decided to take the lead?

"Lenna, do you see that?"

She popped open one eye to peek at what he was talking about. He was standing and pointing towards the front of the ship. He looked like a ghost in the moonlight; a specter of something that once was.

"Tell me I'm not going crazy and imagining things," he said, turning his attention back towards her. She rose and took a place next to him.

She followed his finger, as he was still pointing, and noticed a large dark mass waiting before them. There was a thick fog surrounding it and figures, real ghostly figures, roamed about it. Everything was just a shadow, a never ending penumbra.

And the ship was drifting straight for it; they were going to collide head on.

"We have to steer the ship out of the way!" Lenna told him frantically.

He shook his head, a look as dark as the looming mass crossing his face. "The rudder's broken, remember? We can't do anything but brace ourselves for it."

"But- Should we wake the others?"

The dark mess was closer now and they could make out the shape better. A large post sticking straight up, many wooden planks that looked ripped in half, the wandering phantoms. It was a shipwreck.

"Let's go get-"

The ship shook, throwing both of them to the ground. A horrible groaning sound emerged from the front as the boats were being pushed into one another, the planks breaking and falling into the dark sea below. The fog, an unnatural purplish hue, came creeping across the deck. Lenna recoiled and pushed herself away from the mess until the ship finally stopped moving, the newly broken edge only a foot away from them.

Bartz stood then helped Lenna up, the shock of the crash written clearly. They themselves were now a shipwreck, stranded in some unknown place with unknown spirits.

"Bartz," Lenna's voice shook; she was scared, apprehensive. "The others-"

"What the _hell_ is going on up here?" a voice boomed from behind them. Lenna turned to find the captain, and the old man, practically crawling up the broken steps to the deck.

She took a step behind Bartz; the captain sounded really angry and she was not about to get in the way of his wrath. It was a rather childish move but she hardly cared.

The captain's eyes widened as he noticed the condition of his ship. He took two brisk steps forward then stopped, looking around in disbelief.

"What did you two do to my ship?!" he practically shouted in disbelief, his voice doing that weird thing than Lenna had started to notice. Whenever Faris was in distress or upset, his voice seemed to rise quite a bit, sounding unnaturally high.

Bartz frowned at the accusation that it was he and Lenna that had caused the damage and crossed his arms. " _We_ did nothing. The ship crashed itself into the other."

"And you didn't think to come get us?" Faris questioned, finally tearing his eyes away from the wreckage to place them on the two.

"They were probably too busy flirting," Galuf intoned from behind him.

Bartz began to protest the notion but Lenna stepped in. "We hadn't noticed until it was too late. We were just about to go wake you when we crashed."

Faris walked to where their ship not met the other and looked around all sides of it. Galuf scoffed, "Unbelievable."

"We're in the graveyard of the sea," Faris told them, sounding less angry, and making his way back over. "A gathering place for ruined and scuttled ships…and a nest for the undead."

Lenna's eyes widened and she heard an annoyed groan from Bartz. "Should've figured we'd end up here," Faris muttered.

"All the more reason to hotfoot it out of here," Galuf said, shivering.

"What time is it?" Faris suddenly asked, looking up to the sky to try and answer his own question. He quietly calculated, whispering to himself. "About three in the morning?"

Bartz exchanged a look with Lenna then Galuf, confused as to why he was calculating the time. "Why do you care?" he asked.

Faris snapped his head to look at him, his eyes boring holes into the other's. "Corpses don't particularly like to be around when the sun comes up. We have two to three hours until dawn."

"You don't expect us to wait that long to get out of here, do you?" Galuf concerned his thoughts out loud.

"Would you rather walk among the living dead?"

"If we wait here that long we might be anyways!"

"It's safer if we stay here and wait it out."

"We'd all be safer the sooner we get out of here."

Lenna frowned at their argument. Was now really the time?

"Hey," Bartz spoke up, placing himself between the two at the sight of Faris clenching his fists. "Although Faris is right that it might be safer if we stay here, there's still the risk of catching the attention of those… _things_ over there if we do."

He waved his hand in the general direction of the specters they had seen earlier and they had seemed to be noticeably closer than they were before.

Bartz lowered his voice. "And with the way your two are yelling, I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them decided to pay a visit now."

"Maybe it would be better to leave now, I don't like this place any more than you," Lenna said next to him.

Faris huffed, blowing a stray piece of blond hair out of his face. "It's dangerous to go now. The night is _their_ time."

Bartz had already started to climb over onto the next ship, Lenna close behind him.

He looked back as he took her hand to help her over. "I don't know about you, but I'm leaving now. Come if you like."

Galuf grinned, wickedly, and followed the two kids. "Wouldn't want to get left behind, Captain. It's _dangerous_ at night."

"I oughta beat your ass, old man," Faris muttered under his breath, reluctantly following his companions.

0-0-0-0-0

The crew walked and traversed the wreckage of more than just theirs and the ship they had crashed into. Faris wasn't lying when he had said that it was a ship graveyard; everywhere they went seemed to be the remains of a ship that once sailed the seas.

"My poor ship," Faris had muttered at one point, Lenna overhearing the comment as they stepped away from a pile of freshly killed bones. Skeletons, it was, an already dead thing needing to be killed again. Lenna shivered at the thought of restless souls.

She quickened her pace to match that of his and quietly apologized.

"I'm so sorry," she told him. "If we had only noticed earlier, we could've warned you of the oncoming crash."

Faris made a face that could've been either confusion or disgust, Lenna wasn't sure. "It would've done no good; the ship was all but broken already."

"Bartz said the same thing," Lenna mused, placing her arms behind her back.

"Aha!" Faris exclaimed, making Lenna jump. "So it was Bartz who didn't want to come get us!"

Lenna drew her brows together in confusion. He had just said it didn't matter that they hadn't awoken them. "What? No, he never said-"

"No, no," he said waving his hands as to dismiss her words. "I should've known it was him."

"But we really were going to go get-"

Lenna stopped when her foot stepped in something wet and she saw Faris's eyes widen. She looked down, apprehensive as to what kind of disgusting creature's goop she had just placed her foot in.

She was surprised to see that it was just salt water, and a lot of it.

She was pushed forward deeper into it as Galuf had failed to realized that she had stopped in front of him. She threw him a glare and he shrugged as if to say sorry.

"What's wrong," Bartz asked, pulling up from the rear and pushing himself in between Faris and Lenna, only to stop when he too had stepped in the water. He made a face and took a step back.

"Do we have to go this way?" Faris appeared nervous. "We'll get soaked…"

Bartz looked amused as he once again stepped into the water, sloshing through it until he was up to his waist in it. "What, are you going to melt or something? Come on!"

The captain threw him a frown but reluctantly stepped into it himself, Galuf following.

Lenna stepped in up to her ankles then pulled her sashes, robes and skirt up and around her waist, clutching them with tight hands. She waded in further, the water stopping at the bottom of her ribcage, her short stature proving to be an annoyance.

"Don't get left behind, Lenna!" she had heard Galuf shout from ahead. She treaded as quickly as she could to try and catch up.

"Be careful," he told her once she had taken a place next to him. "There could be fiends lurking beneath the waters."

She looked down, unable to see beneath the dark water, and frowned.

"Great."

0-0-0-0-0

After what felt like forever of trudging through the murky and cold waters, they had finally come to a set of stairs that led out of it. Lenna sighed, relieved.

At the top of the stairs was what once seemed to be a storage room, boxes and empty crates strewn about it. They stepped further into it, another door leading to a smaller, private chamber.

Lenna was freezing and her teeth were chattering and she watched as Bartz stopped in the middle of the room and rung out his shirt. "I'm soaked," he said pouting, then frantically, he danced about, shaking his legs in an abnormal manner.

"There's a fish in my shorts!" he exclaimed, taking a boot off and plopping himself onto the ground. He struggled for a moment, then finally produced it, earning a small smile from Lenna.

She looked around. "This room seems safe enough," she had determined. "Let's take a rest."

Bartz stood and the others nodded, each walking around to check the contents of the room. Lenna herself walked over to the other door, peeking inside to find it empty.

"I'm going to go dry off," she told them, opening the door wider to walk in.

Bartz gave her a look. "You can dry off out here," he told her, then gesturing to a crate, he added: "We have supplies to build a fire; it'll be faster that way."

She frowned. Her clothes were soaking wet and she wasn't inclined to start undressing in front of a group of men. She hesitated, unsure of how to tell him without saying it out right.

"I meant I'm going to go dry my clothes," she rephrased, unsure if he would get it.

Bartz looked even more confused and from beside him, Galuf nudged him and nodded his head towards the princess with a brow raised and a knowing look.

He looked at the old man for a second then his eyebrows finally shot up and his eyes widened.

"Oh," he said, turning to look at Lenna. " _Oh._ "

Galuf laughed and Bartz had quickly placed his hands up as if to surrender. "I didn't get- I didn't mean-" he was stumbling over his own words. Lenna rolled her eyes then stepped into the room and closed the door, locking it.

Once inside, she finally took in all there was to see. Although the ship was wrecked, just like the others, the room was in nice condition, albeit just a tad dusty. A bed sat in the corner furthest from the door and a desk and chair stood opposite of it. It was very likely that it was once a captain's quarters.

She sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off her boots and turning them upside down, letting water come falling out. She took off her stockings, unhooking them and ringing them out and wondered if she should even bother to put them back on in the condition they were in. She then removed the mage's robe and rung that out too, only to be surprised that no water fell to the floor as she did. It must've had magical properties that kept it dry. If only the rest of her clothes were like that.

She stood then, noticing a large mirror propped up on the adjacent wall. Walking over to it, she stopped and examined it. It had a large crack but it didn't hinder the use of it.

She took in her appearance, dismay at the state of her looks. Once blonde and neatly combed hair was now a dirtier color and falling loose around her shoulders. Her skirt and sashes were ripped at the edges and she carefully untied them, throwing them on the bed.

She examined herself in the mirror in just her dress, her form was petite and short, and she flashed her bare legs out in front of her, frowning at what she saw. Suddenly, she had a thought, one that made her nervous, and she clutched the neckline of her dress.

She looked at the door then back at herself in the mirror, and ever so gingerly, she pulled down the top of her dress to around her waist, exposing her undergarments.

She covered her chest, trying to save her decency from even herself and turned, looking at her bare skin. She stopped when she reached her side and found it. A faint scar from when her journey had first begun. From when the earth had started to shake and those goblins came for her and Galuf; when that goblin had slashed for her side and she had passed out. When Bartz had come to save her.

There was suddenly shouting coming from the other room and she frantically pulled her dress back up, running to the bed to throw the robe over herself. She stopped at the door and listened, trying to decide if she should get involved.

"I'm fine like this," she heard Faris shout; "I said not to worry about me."

"Are you crazy, boy?" this voice belonged to Galuf. "You'll catch pneumonia in those wet things!"

There was footsteps and then more shouts from Faris.

"Hey! What are you doing? Get away! Don't touch-"

There was the sound of a scuffle then shouts from the other two men, causing Lenna to decide to take action.

She opened the door, her legs still bare and gave them all a worried look.

"What's all the commotion?"

Bartz and Galuf looked at her, shock written plain as day on their faces, with a hint of being scandalized.

"Lenna," Bartz stammered, trying to get a grasp on the common language. "This- he-"

"Oh my stars and comets!" Galuf interrupted him. "He's a she!"

Lenna frowned and drew her brows together, trying to understand what he was trying to say. She looked at Faris who made a point of not looking at any of them. He slouched, crossing his arms over his chest.

There was silence, then Faris finally spoke, still determined to not make eye contact.

"Well maybe I am," he- _she_ \- said. "You got a problem with it?"

Lenna shook her head, still trying to comprehend it. "Of course not. Just, why were you trying to hide it?"

Faris finally looked at her, her eyes glowing in the fire lit room. She sighed and stepped closer to the fire, her look softening.

"When I was just a lad- er- lass," she started. "a pirate band took me in. I've been one of them ever since."

Lenna felt pity for her and wanted to comfort her, but her feet were planted firmly in their place.

"Yeah, so?" Bartz asked, a frown now forming on his face.

Faris snapped her head towards him, a dangerous look in her eyes. "Well, would _you_ want to be the only girl on a ship full of pirates?"

Bartz blanched and said nothing more.

Galuf snorted from his spot beside Lenna. "Hah! I knew you were to pretty to be a man!"

Lenna threw him a look, warning him to stop talking. Faris returned her gaze to the fire, a determined look in her eyes.

"Make fun of me for really being a woman and I'll shiver your timbers but good."

Bartz looked nervous. "Uh…okay…"

"That's right it's okay!" the captain had shouted in an overzealous tone. "Now, I'm turning in and you louts had best do the same!"

She stormed off behind a large stack of crates, leaving the rest to ponder the new revelation.

Bartz turned towards his other two companions and shrugged.

"Who'd a thought?"

0-0-0-0-0

Nearly a month later for this update UGH! Ive been so busy but I hope you all enjoy this chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

Faris was quick to rise, her loud voice waking the other three.

"Rise and shine, dullards!" she shouted, an over exuberance of enthusiasm in her voice. "Time's a wastin'!"

There was a collection of groans as Lenna sat up from her small blanket pile to take in her surroundings. Bartz had rolled back over in his pile, pulling most of them up over his head, and Galuf lay on his back with his hand to his face. They were exhausted and a few piles of moth eaten and damp, old blankets they had found in some crates were not exactly a good night's rest.

Lenna took the time to study their newly discovered female of the group. A lot of things made sense now, things that had seemed odd before. The structure of her face, although she had a sharp jaw, she had a petite and elfish nose and soft, round eyes though they were hard to determine under the harsh glares she spared. Her lashes were longer than any man's she had ever seen and her figure, though well hidden by her long captain's coat, if one looked long and hard enough, they could see that she was not built like a man.

She tried to hide it, and she did it well. Late the night before, when Faris thought everyone had fallen asleep, she climbed out of her blanket pile and walked over to the fire. Lenna, who was very much a light sleeper, was awakened by the rustle of cloth and the soft sound of footsteps. The princess quietly turned in her own pile and pulled a blanket up to her nose, watching the woman in the dim firelight.

Faris shuffled around the fire for a few moments, completely and utterly enchanted by it, but then finally stopped. Lenna watched, holding her breath, as the captain shed her coat and laid it out carefully in front of the fire to dry. The coat was beautiful, dark in color with shiny baubles and medals and ornaments hanging off it. It was gleaming and big and Lenna wondered what it felt like.

Then, much to her surprise, Faris grabbed the edges of her shirt and quickly tugged it off and over her head, wringing it out next to the fire. Lenna would've gasped, if she had not already been holding her breath, and stiffened at what she saw.

There stood Faris without any undergarments, yet she had bandages upon bandages wrapped around her chest, compressing anything she had there. Lenna's eyes widened at the realization at what she was looking at and tried to turn back over as quietly as she could, the sound of her blankets alerting Faris.

Lenna tried to steady her breathing but instead she felt lightheaded. She had just witnessed a very private moment that had been meant for no one's eyes. She had broken a moment of peace that did not belong to her and she felt scandalized and ashamed all the same.

She heard what had to be the captain putting her clothes back on and then the creaking of the floorboards as she made her way back to her blanket pile. Lenna squeezed her eyes shut but couldn't fall asleep until she heard snoring from the other woman.

Now that they were all awake and in the somewhat lit room, Lenna, in a very childish way, could not look at Faris without blushing profusely. She decided she wanted to avoid any unnecessary attention, or the expected questions as to why she was blushing, and deemed it was better to stay away and keep to the other two's side. The captain seemed oblivious to her sudden in change in character though, going about as she usually did, barking orders as she went along.

It took three more hours for the group to finally reach actual land and Lenna nearly cried out in relief as she hopped off the last of the shoals and onto the rocky shore. Galuf laughed at her contentment and sat himself next to her.

"Finally," Faris sighed, also taking a spot on the sand to rest.

Bartz still stood, a pensive look on his face as he stared at the area ahead. Lenna followed his gaze to find what looked to be a cave. She shivered at the thought of having to travel through another. She was tired and hungry; the last time she had eaten was the day before, when they had found the last of the pirate's rations below the deck.

Bartz turned his gaze down to them, his eyes finding Lenna's.

"Something's fishy about this place, and it ain't cod."

There was an unearthly silence, no waves and no wind, as soon as he spoke, a bright light and a pop sounded from near the cave, startling all of them. Lenna and the others quickly stood.

When the light faded, what was left was a familiar woman; someone Lenna had seen in a dream. She looked sad and ghostly pale, she wrung her hands in a worried fashion as she looked around like a lost child.

Her eyes finally stopped as they set their sights on Bartz and she let out a relieved breath of air. She held her arms out to him and called out to him.

Lenna looked over to him, his face changing from confused to one of sadness. He clenched his hands into fists then released them, going back and forth between frustration and longing.

"Bartz," his mother cried, her hands beckoning him towards her. "Won't you come closer?"

Lenna heard a whimper and she turned back to face Bartz. Much to her disbelief, he looked ready to cry and he said softly; "Mom?"

The woman smiled at his voice and he suddenly took on a new emotion, or the lack of one. His face went completely slack; his eyes shut half closed, his lips parted, and his head lolled a little as he started to walk towards her.

No one else said anything, they were all too confused. They watched as the man walked, like a machine, towards his specter of a mother.

Then he stopped and stumbled, placing a hand to his head. He tried to step back, teetering like a drunken sailor but his mother spoke again.

"Come, Bartz," and with that, he went slack again and reached for his mother. Lenna opened her mouth to speak, to shout, to scream, to do something, but she was stopped by another flash of light.

She snapped her head at the sound of a voice, sweet and calming like nectar. She had wanted to hear his voice for so long, the only comfort she craved.

"Come here, honey," he cooed. It was _him_ ; he was there, right in front of her.

"Father," she whispered, afraid that if she spoke up her dream would fall apart right in front of her eyes.

She suddenly felt in a foggy daze as she took a step towards him. She was tired, so, so tired and she was sure her father was the rest she needed. Her eyes were heavy and it felt like she was moving through molasses again, dragging her slow body while her mind raced to get ahead.

She moved towards him and suddenly she was pulled from her dream as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whipped her head to find Faris standing there, a look of concern on her face.

"Lenna?" she asked, but she was quickly dealt with as her eyes widened at the sight of King Tycoon.

Lenna fell back into her dreamy trance and that's when the whispers started to fill her head.

Promises of safety and comfort and love all took their place in her mind and it made the vision of her father all the more appealing. This was everything she had ever wanted.

Strangely, Faris followed her lead, an enchanted look also on her face as she took a spot next to the princess. And when Lenna turned to look, she wasn't there, but in her place was her older sister, five years old again.

The little girl looked up to her and smiled, that big toothy smile, and grabbed her sister's hand.

"We're together again!" she exclaimed, giving her hand a squeeze.

Lenna just smiled, taking in how wonderful everything seemed to be at that moment. She was content and safe and reunited with those she loved most. Nothing could be wrong, not ever again.

Another flash of bright light that Lenna barely registered took place in the background of her happy moment. She heard more voices but these ones seemed more real, more tangible. She looked up when she heard Galuf shouting.

There in front of Galuf was a young girl, no older than fifteen, calling for him.

"Grandpa!" she called out, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

Galuf shook his head in confusion and mumbled to himself. What was he doing?

Lenna looked back to the figure in bewilderment, but she was interrupted by a splitting headache. She screamed and covered her ears in vain as she heard a shrieking noise. She dropped to her knees.

She felt like her insides were being torn apart in every single direction as her, what she guessed later, soul was being ripped from her body, from her mind, from her heart. Her temples pounded and her body had started to fail; she fell forward onto her face, unable to keep herself upright.

She struggled to keep herself breathing, but a sinister voice had now entered her mind.

"Just let us have your soul," it cried. "Become one of us!"

Screams, screams swam through her mind as her breaths became short and labored. A less than soothing lullaby, she started to shake, violently, and she felt like she was ready to vomit. She refused to open her eyes as the screams became louder; she was scared to see what was waiting for her when she did.

There was a sudden shout that broke through the screams, though it was duller and sound muffled.

"Open your eyes!" Lenna caught.

No, she refused to. Surely whatever was screaming would be much worse when she opened her eyes.

She was scared and starting to feel a metallic cold creeping upon her, but that was soon replaced by a sharp stinging feeling across her face. Finally her eyes snapped open.

The screaming stopped as she saw Galuf standing above her, his hand raised. She flinched as he brought it down, stopping inches from her face.

"Galuf?"

"Stand up!" he ordered as he grabbed her arm and hoisted her to two feet. She swayed, her mind still swimming in a cloud of confusion. Her ears rang from the dying screams and her vision was blurred from squeezing her eyelids so tight. She gasped for breath as she stood there, clutching onto Galuf's sleeve.

He frowned and pried his arm from her grasp, carefully taking her by the shoulders.

"Lenna," he said sternly, a fatherly tone in his voice. "Get a hold of yourself. Listen to my voice; you're here in the real world."

Lenna knew she was in the real world; those noises were loud enough and hurt enough to have to be real. She shook her head, squinting through her haze to try and find Galuf's face.

"Galuf, I-"

"Stay here," he commanded, releasing her from his grasp.

She doubled over, clutching the sides of her head as she watched him move over to another wriggling figure on the ground.

It was Faris. The woman moved about spastically, her body moving and contorting in uncomfortable positions as she cried out gasps of mercy. She was heaving; her chest rising and falling quickly, her eyes squeezed shut. She convulsed feverishly, like a demon had possessed her.

Lenna watched in horror as Galuf squatted in front of the captain then raised his hand once again. He brought it down quickly and swiftly, the noise it emitted from the contact it made with her face made Lenna cringe. She rubbed her own cheek, guessing that that was how Galuf had snapped _her_ out of her own feverish episode.

Faris's eyes flew open and the convulsions suddenly stopped as the hand hit its mark. She gasped from the shock and rolled onto her back then sat up. She tried focusing her eyes as she searched for the assailant. She frowned, her recovery much quicker than Lenna's, and snapped her head towards him, her own hand striking his face.

Galuf recoiled and fell onto his butt; he placed a hand to his cheek and sputtered, a stunned look on his face.

"What the-"

"What is wrong with you, old man?!" she shouted, her hand poised for another slap.

"Hey! I was just helping you! You looked like you were having a seizure or something, that witch was doing things to your mind!"

Lenna, whose vision had finally cleared, and Faris, who had lowered her hand a little in confusion, both gave him a questioning look. What witch was he talking about?

"That was rude," a melodic voice interrupted them.

They all turned abruptly to the source of the voice. There in front of the long forgotten cave was the most stunning woman Lenna had ever seen. She was tall and lean, a billowing skirt hanging from her hips and blowing in a nonexistent wind. Her golden locks were pulled back in a braid, all the hair pulled away from her sharp face. Her nose was long and narrow, and her mouth was pulled into a firm, straight line. She looked at Galuf with disdain in her cold, dark eyes.

"Who're you?"

Once again, Lenna and the other two turned to another voice. Lenna felt relief as she looked over to see that it was Bartz, standing upright with a look of disgust.

The woman scoffed and raised a brow; she was amused and very much so. She pulled her braid over her shoulder and idly played with the ends as she took a seat on the ground, crossing her legs.

"Your friend here was immune to my song."

Lenna looked on in confusion at the strange sight in front of her; a beautiful woman sitting on the jagged shore of a ship graveyard talking about _songs_?

"He seemed just completely _dumbfounded_ when I showed him my illusion," the woman complained. She placed her head in her hand and her elbow on her knee. "And then he had the audacity to go and wake you from my spell!"

Lenna saw Faris cross her arms in annoyance, staring the accused witch down. The woman smiled faintly back at her and tugged at her braid.

"You haven't answered my question," Bartz intoned from his side of the shore.

"And that was…"

"Who are you?"

The woman's smile turned down as she threw him a look of chagrin, sitting up straight and crossing her own arms across her chest. She let out a huff, the air from her mouth blowing a stray piece of hair from her face.

"Well if you don't know already, maybe I shouldn't tell you," she answered.

Bartz clicked his tongue in dismay, throwing his hands up in exasperation. Faris was the one to answer.

"She's a siren."

Bartz scrunched up his features into a scowl. "A what?"

"A siren," she said again, meeting his gaze. "They use their songs to lure people into traps. They show you what you want to see. Why do you think there's a ship graveyard here?"

Bartz blanched and looked back at the siren. He took a step back, as if it would help him escape her song. "So she sings…and we see things?"

The siren groaned and stood, placing her hands on her hips. She flicked her finger towards Bartz and waved it wildly. "You're not very smart are you, kid?"

"Hey!"

"He's a bit slow on the uptake."

Galuf cleared his throat and took a step forward. "Will you just let us through?"

The siren laughed a good and hearty laugh. "Let you through?"

None of the others joined in on her merry laughter, they just stood there. This lady was getting weirder and weirder.

Her laughter died down after a moment more. She wiped a tear from her eye. "You may be the first to survive my song, but you will not be the first to make it past me."

Lenna watched as Bartz drew his sword and shouted "Agro!", that thick mist surrounding him to reveal the warrior.

The siren raised her eyebrows at the impressive feat and threw her braid back over her shoulder. "I had heard that something had happened to the wind crystal, I didn't think I would meet the ones responsible for its demise."

Lenna gulped. They weren't the cause of the shattering of the crystal; it was like that when they got there. Yet, she couldn't help but wonder: if she never left home would any of this have ever happened?

The siren whipped her head towards Lenna, that creepy grin on her face. "I sense your doubts, princess. You don't think it was you?"

Lenna stopped breathing when she was addressed; this woman knew who she was, what she desired, and what she feared. And she had every intention of using everything against her.

"Well it doesn't matter if you believe it or not, you'll all be dead soon enough."

There was a moment of silence as they all stood still. The waves washed up behind them, the would be high tide now looking much lower than that of the low tide.

Then all at once they all sprang into action.

Lenna heard Galuf and Faris call upon their respective crystals as she pulled out her own. She held it close to her heart and prayed, a silent prayer, then raised it to call out.

"Deidre, I call up you."

Though she was still wearing the white mage robe from the fight before, she felt reenergized as her new powers ran through her body. Her body temperature raised and she felt lighter on her feet as she threw her hands together in the familiar triangular shape. Her finger tips tingled and her tongue felt electric as her mouth moved faster than her brain, the spirit of the crystal doing the job for her. She cast a healing spell, for whom, she did not know, and the others stood there waiting for the siren to make her move.

"How cute," she sneered, "you think you're little warriors now? Hah! You have no idea what those shards are doing to you."

Lenna opened her mouth to question her but was thrown backwards into the sand with the sweep of the siren's arm. She groaned, scrambling to stand back up. She would not be the weak link; these people needed her to keep them alive.

Bartz ran forward with his sword, moving to the right side of the siren. Lenna watched in a daze as he stabbed, eliciting a yelp from her. The siren clutched at her side and snapped her head in the direction of the knight. She swung her arm towards him this time and he too flew back towards the sand, creating a wake.

Galuf held his hands in the triangle; an exciting and intoxicating aura surrounded him. He chanted the spells that were much different than Lenna's own. He drew the power from within his crystal shard, his mind much sharper and clearer than it has ever been, his only focus needed to be his spells. The words; the pronunciation and articulation were precise, he never stumbled. He _couldn't_ stumble.

He cast one of the most basic of spells; fire. Flames encased his hands as he outstretched them towards the sea witch, the arc hungrily searching for its opponent.

The siren smiled as the flames simply flew past her, not even coming close to touching her.

Galuf gave an exasperated sigh, throwing the black mage's hat to the ground. The siren laughed.

"She's immune to magic?!" he cried, pulling his hands down his face.

"Keep trying!" Faris yelled back, finally taking some action.

She had called upon the grand monk, her outfit resembling an ancient civilization Lenna had once read about with her tutor. A high neck silk shirt and matching pants, she stepped towards the siren.

The siren looked on in confusion as Faris leisurely strolled up to her, placing her hands on her hips as she swaggered forward.

The siren scrunched her eyebrows together as she grew closer and the captain smiled devilishly.

"You're quite the brave one," she told Faris, preparing to strike her.

But as she raised her arm, Faris dashed forward, tackling the siren to the ground. She held a position above her and flung her fist towards the siren. She hit her mark; a cry came from the siren as she was struck in the jaw. Faris hit again, then again, and again and again until she was panting, sweat dripping down her face.

The siren then threw her head back as Faris stopped for just a moment to breathe. She opened her mouth, letting out an ear splitting scream, causing all to cover their ears in pain.

She pushed Faris off her and stepped back, growling with and intense anger in her eyes.

"This ends now!" she screamed.

And then things got worse.

As Lenna hurried to pop off small healing spells, the siren started spastically screaming in short bursts, her chest heaving and her back hunched. She looked like an agitated dog having a seizure, and quite frankly, the sight made Lenna frightened. If she was not scared before she was definitely scared for a lifetime now.

The siren screamed again and flung her arms out behind her as she started to glow an eerie yellow. Faint cracks appearing in her skin, her hair started graying then falling out and finally she was engulfed by light.

Lenna was too startled to feel that fraction of a second of relief that the others had felt when the fiend was gone from sight. But the light faded away to reveal an all the more horrifying creature.

Out of the light came the new siren, or rather she looked old. Extremely old. So old she was dead; the undead. Lenna caught a whiff of the smell of death and gagged, pulling her robe sleeve over her hand then covering her mouth and nose as her eyes started to water. The siren laughed manically.

Her laughing was soon stopped as Galuf completed another fire spell, but this time it hit its mark. She screamed, causing them to once again cover their ears. The flames licked at her clothes and hair, the strong smell of death becoming even worse as it had now become the strong smell of _burnt_ death.

She screamed, a habit Lenna was starting become more annoyed than afraid of. This crazy woman would just not shut up!

She watched as Bartz ran forward again, swinging his sword above his head and slashing it down with such a force, it knocked the siren down with a shriek but seemed physically unharmed. She let out another cackle.

Bartz scrambled out of the way as she swung her arms wildly, their speed causing an intense wind to blow, whipping around their hair and clothes. Lenna gasped for breath.

But the wind quickly stopped with another shriek and the smell of smoke; Lenna looked up from her spot, uncertainty taking a place in her mind.

Galuf threw his fist in the air in triumph as the siren's flesh burned, her body and bones and clothes all melting into the rocky shore. What was left of her gurgled and bubbled, her former vessel seeping through the sand. She cried out.

"This isn't over!" she wailed, her voice no longer sweet and melodic. "We will get you! You won't succeed!"

And then she was gone, all that was left was a bronze chest plate where she once was.

Bartz looked a Galuf, a look of relief and appreciation on his face. "Galuf, you saved us. I owe you my life."

Galuf shrugged but smiled as he said: "Eh, don't sweat it."

"Ah, you're blushing!" Bartz teased, and that's when Galuf punched him in the arm, his face turning even redder.

"I'm doing nothing of the sort!" he denied.

It was silent for a moment, then Lenna giggled, causing Faris to snort which caused Bartz to laugh until they were all laughing and clutching at their sides. It was weird; they had just fought a battle, yet here they were not even minutes later, laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Finally, much to Galuf's relief, the laughing subsided and the tears were wiped and Bartz walked over to the bronze plate. Carefully, he picked it up.

"She must've been wearing this," he said, a light airy tone still in his voice. He let out a light laugh. "Who wants it?"

No one spoke up but Bartz made his way over to Faris, holding it out to her. "I think you should take it," he said, her hands carefully taking it from him as she gave him a placid look. "You deserve it; you went pretty ham out there."

She twisted her face into something of confusion and disgust, but nonetheless gave a quiet "thanks".

Bartz stood there for an awkward moment as if he were waiting for her to ask something, but instead she turned towards Lenna and placed the plate over her torso. She turned her side towards her.

"Help me, will ya?"

Lenna blinked, comprehending what was being asked then hastily started to fasten the plate.

"Thank you," Faris told her, seeing Bartz frown then walk towards the cave with Galuf.

Lenna blushed, thinking of what she saw the night before, something so intimate that was ever meant for her to see. She quickly finished her job.

"Anything else you need?" she asked. "Any injuries you need tending?"

Faris smiled, a small smile, and she her head. Lenna nodded curtly and left her behind to catch up to the other two- and to catch her breath.

As she stopped next to Galuf at the entrance of the cave, Bartz emerged from the darkness with a grin on his face.

"Well," he began, wiping his hands on his armor. "The cave is pretty small, the exit is close. We should be out and on the other side to Walse in no time."

Lenna clapped her hands together, hopping up and down on the balls of her feet. She was elated, things were looking up!

Galuf took in her excitement, his own smile forming on his face. "Well then, shall we go?"

He got a nod from both Lenna and Bartz, followed by Faris who finally joined them.

He nodded in return and lead them, plunging into the darkness.

0-0-0-0-0

It took the rest of the day to finally make it to a small town by the sea, on the opposite end of the cape they had emerged from. It was not Walse, as Bartz had so nicely told them, but instead it was Carwen, a port town whose main export was exotic fish.

Lenna was ecstatic as they entered the town, barely able to contain her excitement. It was beautiful, even more so than Tule. The main entrance of the town was a big stone courtyard with trees and shrubbery lining the tall brick wall. An interesting mosaic depicting a translucent fish was in the direct center; people were standing on and near it, milling about and chatting with one another. On each side of the courtyard were vendors and booths, many different people selling fine wares and food and little trinkets and baubles. Lenna was thoroughly enchanted.

Bartz led them through the courtyard and up a set of huge stone stairs, promising Lenna they would come back later to see all there was to see. Reluctantly, she agreed and followed him and the other two to the inn.

The inn was directly at the top of the stairs. It had a shining red roof and a wooden outside, its sign swung lazily in the setting sun's light. It was odd, but Lenna was excited for a night in the inn; she hadn't really gotten a good night's rest in the ship graveyard.

They got two rooms, the men in one, the girls in the other, and they met in the hall.

"Done packing already?" Galuf asked as he closed the door to their room.

Faris frowned and Lenna realized something with a stomach twisting start.

"We don't have anything to unpack," she told him, realizing that she couldn't remember the last time she had her pack.

Bartz laughed as Galuf scowled.

"We're just lucky I kept the money safe," he said, patting his trouser pocket.

"That's all good and dandy," Faris intoned from her spot next to Lenna, "But can that money buy us some food? We haven't eaten in days if you recall."

Bartz chuckled, walking down the hall and down the stairs, leading the way out the inn.

He led them to the courtyard; night had fallen and it was much busier now. The shouting was louder, the lights were brighter, and the people had increased in number. Lenna felt her excitement grow again.

Bartz dispersed the money between them; he offered to show them around but Galuf rolled his eyes and wandered off as Faris threw him a frown and walked away. Lenna opted to stay with him; she was once again in a foreign place- everything outside the castle was foreign to her- and he nodded his head towards the bustle.

They walked around for a bit until Bartz found what he was looking for; a pastry cart. He watched with amusement as Lenna's eyes lit up at the confections and sweets, her stomach grumbling.

"Bartz?" the woman behind the cart asked. He looked up and a smile lit up her face, the wrinkles around her eyes crinkling with joy. He returned the smile, eager that she had remembered him, and picked up a small cake.

"Matilda," he said, bringing the cake up to his nose. "It's been awhile yet, your cakes smell just as sweet as they did the first time."

The woman smiled warmly once again then turned her head towards Lenna who was busy ogling over the sweets.

"See anything you like, miss?"

Lenna looked up, pulled from her distraction and nodded. "All of it looks delicious."

"Take what you want," Bartz said, nudging her in the shoulder. "I'll pay for it."

She frowned at his generosity. "It's okay Bartz; I can pay for my own."

"No, no," he insisted. "I got it, just this once."

With a hesitant hand, she reached out and took a pastry. It looked like a regular bowl of bread with powder sugar on top, the substance sticking to her fingers and making her even hungrier. She pulled a piece off and stuck it in her mouth. There was cream in the middle, light and whipped. She rolled in the euphorically sweet taste.

"Just this once," she told him, taking in a deep breath of the warm dessert.

"That's all you're gonna take?" he asked, plopping the cake that was in his hand before into his mouth. He wiped his hands on his pants, then grabbed another off the table, reaching into his pocket for the bag of coins.

"You gotta take more than that!" Matilda laughed, placing her hands on her hips. "If the boy is treating you, you might as well take advantage.

Lenna felt hesitant; she didn't want to take advantage of Bartz, not after everything he's already done for her. The words that came from Matilda made her feel almost sick enough to put the dessert back down. Almost.

"C'mon, it's fine," Bartz urged her, handing Matilda the money. "If you don't want anymore, grab something for Galuf and Faris. I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

Lenna perked up at the names of her other companions. It was nice that Bartz had thought of them, something she hadn't bothered to do in all her excitement.

"Okay," she said as she grabbed two more cakes from the cart. "But I'll pay you back, I promise."

As Matilda bagged the extra cakes for her companions, Lenna turned to face the courtyard fully. A band had started to play in the center; the mosaic had been cleared for any and all dancers as the musicians picked up their fiddles and hand drums. They played a light and fun jig and it gonna Lenna bouncing on her toes.

She felt light in that moment, giddy like a young girl. She yearned to dance but her body still ached from having not rested for so long.

Bartz pulled up beside her, the bag of pastries in his hands. He watched the dancers with as much enthusiasm as Lenna did; a lopsided smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He sighed, a dreamy and airy sigh.

Lenna looked at him from the corner of her eyes, her body still facing the dancers. She watched as he ate another one of his cakes and she watched as he tapped his foot quietly to the beat of the music. His hair was tousled and his face was dirty and Lenna was sure she did not look any better.

Bartz just happened to catch her eye and grinned; Lenna snapped her focus back onto the dancers, their bodies moving effortlessly and free, like the waves at high tide. She was embarrassed at having been caught staring, but was not deterred nonetheless.

Her companion opened his mouth to speak but Lenna beat him to the punch.

"Let's head back to the inn," she suggested, taking another bite from her sweet. "We can wait for Galuf and Faris there."

She could've sworn that his smile faltered for just a second, however he agreed.

"Okay."

So they headed off, back through the courtyard back up the stairs back into the inn and finally through down the hall to where the bedrooms were.

Lenna walked into hers, and much to her surprise and embarrassment so had Bartz. He simply just walked into the room, sat in the chair next to the table, and threw the bag of sweets onto it. She felt scandalized; what was he trying to do? What if people got the wrong idea?

Bartz didn't seem to be worried about any of that as he was too involved with his third cake. He really seemed to love those. So Lenna ignored her thoughts, instead taking a seat in the chair opposite him. She took another bite from hers.

"How many of those did you get for yourself?" she asked, amused.

He looked up at her, then at the bag, then back to his cake. "Four or five."

He took another bite; she of hers.

"Eating so many sweets isn't good for you."

The cream inside her sweet was beyond euphoric at this point, it was a gods' send. Heavenly, divine.

"So they say, but I myself know that is not true."

He finished the cake, pulling out another. There was a moment of silence, then she spoke again.

"You've been here before." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

He paused, his cake halfway to his mouth, a sad smile on his lips.

"Yeah. I've been everywhere."

"Everywhere?"

"Maybe not _everywhere_." He stared at his cake for a moment. "My dad used to take me and my mom here every year for the harvest festival. It was always such a fun time."

"Harvest festival?" she asked. Another bite of her dessert.

He quickly threw her a glance. "Yeah, the harvest festival. Usually, at least once a year when the harvest comes in, they hold a festival to celebrate. A lot of towns do it."

"But Carwen isn't an agriculture town, is it? I thought this was a fishing village, what is there to harvest here?"

He laughed. "It may not bring in actual harvests, but it's known for its big festivals."

She scrunched her eyebrows together.

"You saw how fun it was out there tonight?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well imagine their festivals like that, but a thousand time louder, brighter, and more crowded."

Her eyes widened. They certainly knew how to throw parties. These were events of fun and freedom, not like the parties of Tycoon's royal court with stiff formalities and brittle dancing.

"This is how it is every night," he sighed, his cake becoming less appealing and more repulsive. "They're just so carefree here."

Lenna shifted in her seat, her dessert gone, and also sighed.

"I guess I will just have to come back for the harvest festival someday then."

Bartz grinned. "I'll take you; I haven't been to one in years. I'm itching to go to one again."

Lenna smiled, opening her mouth to say thanks but the door had burst open, Faris and Galuf making their way into the room. Faris plopped herself onto the bed and Galuf stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"Well guess who has information on how to get to Walse," Faris laughed, pulling off her boots. Galuf frowned.

"She found the bar," he told them.

"Well," Lenna said, "tell us what you have."

Bartz had pulled out a cake and handed it to Galuf as Faris relayed her information.

"Walse is south of here, beyond the sea," she started, walking over to claim her sweet too. "They have some sorta machine thingy to amplify the power of the water crystal."

Lenna frowned. They were using a machine to draw power from the water crystal? They were literally draining the power from their sacred water crystal?

"We must stop it," she said, hopping up from her chair. All the worry that she had been pushing down for the night came back up to resurface.

"Hold it, missy," Galuf said, his mouth full of the food. "It would be a quick trip by ship but seeing as the winds are slowed and we don't even have one anymore…" He looked at Faris meekly; but she was too busy throwing a glare at Bartz to see it.

He held up his hands. "We didn't do anything!"

"We can't get there by land as the way is blocked off with mountains," Faris continued, her eyes lolled at the sweet taste of her cake.

Lenna looked down at the wanderer. "Bartz, have you any ideas?"

His mouth tipped down a bit at the sudden use of the formal language, but thought for a moment.

"No ships, so we can't go by sea…we can't cross the land either." He was hesitant to come up with an answer; he set down his remaining cake.

"But wait! There's more," Faris exclaimed. The alcohol really did a number on her personality, making her freer and open with the way she emoted.

"Some old maid down near the pub said that her husband had seen an old wind drake on the northern mountain, she didn't believe him so now he's washed up in the bar."

Lenna's eyes really widened at that. She hadn't seen her father's wind drake at the shrine when they were there. It couldn't be…it can't-

"That has got to be Hiryu!" she shouted, clasping at the pendant around her neck.

"He-what?" Galuf asked.

"My father's wind drake, his name is Hiryu. He wasn't there at the Wind Shrine so I just assumed he had flown off with him but…"

Bartz gulped. "Are you _sure_ it's your dad's?"

Faris snorted. "You don't see many wind drakes flyin' around, Bartz buddy."

Lenna nodded in agreement. "He's the only wind drake I've ever heard of. The rest are either endangered or already extinct."

"Okay…" Bartz said slowly, drawing out the word. "Why is he on the north mountain?"

"Dragon grass grows there."

"Dragon what?"

Lenna rolled her eyes. "Dragon grass! It's a natural healer for dragon's when they eat it, but it's toxic to humans." She gasped, "Hiryu must be hurt!"

"So say we go up the mountain, find your dragon-"

"-Wind drake"

"And the dragon grass. What do we do?"

Lenna thought for a moment then realized the answer to their problem that the drunken Faris had accidentally solved.

"We use him to fly across to Walse!"

Bartz nearly choked. "F-fly?!"

"Yes, it's so plain and simple why didn't I think of it before?" she hopped up and down, then unexpectedly threw her arms around Faris. "Thank you so much!"

The pirate gently pushed the princess off of her, distancing the two. She looked a little grossed out.

"We'll leave tomorrow first thing in the morning," she commanded, quickly picking up the pastry bag and opening up the door. She stood next to it waiting for the men to leave.

All of her companions stared at her blankly. She rolled her eyes.

"Shoo, shoo," she offered, making a _get out of the room_! Motion with her hands.

Reluctantly, the men left, Bartz stopping in the doorway next to her.

"You're sure it's yours?"

Lenna offered him a reassuring grin. She nodded.

He stood there a moment longer, taking in her presence then left the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

He really hoped it was her dragon.


End file.
